The rise and rise of Jonathan Williams

JUST a shade over 7,000 Eagles fans turned up to watch Crystal Palace face Crawley Town in the Carling Cup this season.

As games go it was not the most exciting affair, and the home side's 2-0 victory over League Two opposition will hardly be spoken about when fans look back on classic encounters in years to come.

However, those who did turn up are already saying 'I was there the night Jonathan Williams made his first start for Palace.'

The 18-year-old Tunbridge Wells schoolboy has been something of a revelation this season, seamlessly graduating from academy prospect to first team regular in just six weeks, and has since been rewarded for his impressive form with a first call up by the Welsh national team.

Lee Stoodley is head of physical education at the Bennett Memorial School in Tunbridge Wells, where Williams studied from 11 until he completed his GCSEs earlier this summer, and he claims it was apparent the school had something special on their books almost immediately.

"We've been lucky in this school over the past few years in that we've had quite a few talented footballers come through. Scott Wagstaff is now at Charlton and a couple of years older than Jonny, but technically he couldn't get near him even then," Stoodley said.

"He was already on the books at Crystal Palace when he came to us. He was going up to train with them all the time, but they still allowed him to play in a number of school games.

"Jonny [who is still only 5ft 5in] has never been able to rely on his size as he was always a slight lad, but he had such an instinctive touch you could tell he was going to go really far in the game. When he was 11 he looked like an 18-year-old the way he controlled it and his balance when on the ball."

While Williams clearly focused on developing his game on the pitch, he did not allow his footballing success to change him off of it, and Stoodley maintains the player's ego is just as in check now as it was when he first played for the school as an 11-year-old.

"Palace were always checking on his school progress and making sure he was reaching his academic requirements. The club have been good like that in that they want their prospects to make sure they are getting their qualifications.

"He is a fantastic lad though and completely dedicated and we never had to tell him off. He's been kept down to earth by his very good parents and even when he was playing for the Wales U17s at 15 he was still the same person and he didn't develop an ego.

"He's a real role model for the students at this school who all look up to him."

Palace were aware of the potential of Williams at a very early age, and his progress was carefully mapped out by the club's Academy that has also plotted the development of Victor Moses and Ben Watson (both play for Wigan) in recent years.

Williams' rise has been as swift as it has been dramatic, although while the ascent has caught many people off guard, those who have followed his progress over recent years are not surprised by the way he has taken his chance since manager Dougie Freedman named him on that first team-sheet back in August.

Capped by Wales U21s at just 16, the playmaker affectionately known as 'Joniesta' by Eagles fans in reference to Barcelona's great Andrés Iniesta, Williams has been tipped for the top for some time.

"I've known about him for the last two or three years," explained Freedman, who first encountered him as a shy 15-year-old who offered to help put out the cones before training, shortly after the Scot first returned to the club as coach.

"He's done so well over the last couple of months, but it is no surprise to me what he is doing. We played our biggest game for three years at Brighton the other week, but I didn't have any doubts about putting him in to start. He's a good player and good players rise to the challenge."

Not that Williams relies on talent alone, and Freedman says he would not have introduced the player to the first team at such an early age if he wasn't mentally ready to cope with the pressure.

"His biggest attribute is his mentality. He loves football and would sweep the dressing room if he had to just to be around it. If he was a dustman he'd want to be the best dustman in the world, he's that sort of character.

"He works as hard as anybody in training and he's getting his rewards now. He's a very level headed kid and his family should take great credit for the way they have brought him up.

"He's been training with the first team squad at times over the last couple of years and he was always helping me put out the goals at 9am.

"His life is totally focused about being the best footballer he can be."