Former Cobblers academy player eyeing winning return to Sixfields after starring for Crawley Town
Jay Williams will have added motivation when he returns to Sixfields with Crawley Town on Saturday after he failed to make the grade at the Cobblers.
Now 24, Williams joined Northampton as a 12-year-old and spent five years in the club’s youth system but made only 10 league appearances for the first-team before being released in 2020.
Three years in non-league followed, during which time he played for the likes of AFC Rushden & Diamonds and Brackley Town, before he was picked up by Crawley in 2023, since when he has made a name for himself, so much so he was given the armband.
New Crawley manager Rob Elliott, who replaced Scott Lindsey earlier this month, spoke highly of Williams ahead of his return to Sixfields, saying: “Jay was exceptional on Tuesday and his leadership skills in terms of the example he sets and the intensity he does things with since I’ve come in has been fantastic.
“He’s an intense character but he’s intense because he wants to get better every day and what he does is galvanise everyone around him. He organises and he makes people fight for each other. His voice and presence at the back gives us an edge.
"He loves the battle and he’s a wholehearted character but what we’ve talked about is having a clear head and having controlled aggression and he’s showed real leadership.”
On tomorrow’s game at Sixfields, Elliott added: “You can’t read anything into Northampton’s league position. I watched their games against Leyton Orient and Stockport and they played well. They are a good team, they’re organised and they have good individuals.
"Northampton are a tricky team to face in that they have good patterns and can play out from the back but they can also go direct with pace and energy so we know it's going to be a tough game but I’ve said it consistently – this is probably the strongest League One has ever been.”