Wrexham-born Wales international star Neco Williams spoke about his career so far and the future as he joined a McDonald’s Fun Football session to give children aged 5-11 their grassroots debut.

The McDonald’s Fun Football sessions are taking place across the country, parents are being encouraged to kickstart their child’s grassroots journey and help them fall in love with the sport as Neco has.

The 21-year-old, who is currently on loan at Fulham from Liverpool, has experienced both winning the Premier League and being promoted to it. The varied experience, he said, is “valuable” at a young age.

The McDonald’s Fun Football Ambassador speaking at a free Fun Football session revealed that he would be returning to Liverpool in the summer as a more “mature” and “improved” player after his successful season with Fulham.

Read more: Wrexham's UK City of Culture bid backed by Wales football team

On the promotion, he said: “First and foremost, it’s that experience of winning with a great group of players, which is hard to replicate.  I’ve won the prem and hopefully I can go on to win the championship now. I have gained a lot of experience in a short amount of time.

“I've gone from starting a Champions League game against AC Milan and beating them 2-1 to playing Barnsley. So I have gained quite a lot of valuable and varied experience at such a young age.”

Neco has played alongside some of the biggest names in the sport who he is hoping to learn from.

He said: “At Liverpool, you’ve got the likes of James Milner and Jordan Henderson. They're the characters in the changing rooms who will tell you what’s what.

“In Fulham we've got Tim Ream, when you look at his stats, the number of games he’s played. It's incredible. And I'm just looking to do what these people have done, learn from them and hopefully make appearances like they've built up.”

The Leader: Neco Williams Neco Williams

In 2020, Neco was called up to the Wales teams and made his debut against Finland in the UEFA Nations League, which Wales won 1 -0.

Playing for their country is something that footballers dream of, and Neco explained what it meant for him, saying: “It means absolutely everything to play for the badge on the shirt. Every time you step out onto the pitch in that shirt is exciting. I’ve always had the Wales kits when I was little and to be able to wear one of the senior ones now is an incredible feeling.

“It’s even more special because my mates all support different clubs, but whatever happened they are all Wales fans so they can watch the game together and support me.”

Wales’ most recent game against Austria in Cardiff was met with massive support by fans, especially after the 2-1 win saw them one step closer to the World cup.

Read more: Come on Neco! Your family, Cefn and the whole of Wales know you can do it!

Neco explained how they cope with the pressure, saying: “It’s a cliché but we take it game by game. Gareth showed what he is capable of, and he showed his talent once again - they were unbelievable goals. We know he has that in him, so it wasn’t a shock to us.

“Playing in front of the Welsh fans is incredible and they are like our twelfth man. We must perform for them and qualifying would mean so much to the whole Welsh nation. We are one game away from a World Cup."

Wales’ chance of playing in the World Cup will be decided in a game played against either Ukraine or Scotland.

Read more: Wrexham-born Wales star Neco Williams is living the dream

Neco said: “I’ve always dreamt of playing at a World Cup since I was little, and you don’t realise how hard it is to get there. We’ve never been so close before in our lives.

“We are going to give everything we can to get there. Playing at the World Cup will be a huge boost to the whole Welsh nation and will hopefully inspire others to get playing.”

The prospect is inspiring to children, which is one of the reasons why free football sessions like McDonald’s Fun Football session can help them achieve their goals.

Neco explained: “Having seen the McDonald’s Fun Football session and after speaking to the coaches it was great to see the level of coaching the kids get and I wish I had that when I started out. The McDonald’s sessions are fun and free and that will make a huge difference to families.

“When I was in the Liverpool academy, my grandparents used to drive me for hours to get to training and I can only imagine how much that cost. That’s why it’s so important that these sessions are local for boys and girls to take part in.”

To give your child their grassroots debut and for the latest information about McDonald’s Fun Football sessions which provide free football for children aged 5-11, visit McDonalds.com/Football and follow @FunFootballUK on Twitter and Instagram.