Daniel Williams | It's been a long road, but I feel stronger

Swansea City Under-23s midfielder Daniel Williams admits it has been a long road to recovery but is delighted to finally put his injury nightmare behind him.

The 18-year-old recently returned to action for the development side after nearly four months out with a broken metatarsal.

Williams sustained the injury whilst on international duty with Wales Under-19s back in October.

It was an untimely blow for the first-year pro, who had cemented his place in the heart of the under-23s’ midfield with eight appearances in all competitions.

Following the setback Williams, who has been with the Swans since under-eight level, admits it was difficult watching on from the gym with his team-mates out on the training pitch.

However, he returned to the grass at the start of January; undertaking additional sessions with first-team coach Alan Tate to get back up to speed.

And the central midfielder finally put the nightmare behind him earlier this month as he played just over an hour of the under-23s’ defeat by Newcastle United in Premier League 2 Division 2.

He will also be hoping to feature on Wednesday as the young Swans lock horns with Benfica in their eagerly anticipated Premier League International Cup quarter-final showdown at Landore.

“It’s been a long road, but I feel a lot stronger out there and that my rehab has worked,” Williams said.

“The longest I'd previously been out for was a week, so this was something completely new. I was on crutches for a month, I wore a protective boot for two months and driving was a nightmare.

“It was difficult going in the gym every day while the rest of the boys were out on the pitch.

“As soon as I could get back on the pitch, Tatey would take me out for extra sessions in the afternoon just to help me get back up to speed. That kept me going and gave me more motivation. 

“When I was told I’d be starting the game against Newcastle, I was very, very happy. It’s something I’ve been working very hard towards over the past three-and-a-half months.

“When they told me I’d be out for 12 to 16 weeks, I thought there was no way I’d be able to come through it. But I did and, hopefully, I don’t have to go through this again.”