Athletic Bilbao’s Inaki Williams misses his first La Liga game in nearly SEVEN YEARS

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Athletic Bilbao’s Inaki Williams misses his first La Liga game in almost SEVEN YEARS after making 251 consecutive league appearances for the club as he is forced to sit out with injury.

  • Iñaki Williams has become a key player in the front line of Athletic Bilbao
  • He has not lost a league game with the club for nearly seven years.
  • Williams missed Sunday’s match against Celta Vigo after picking up an injury

Inaki Williams missed his first La Liga match for Athletic Bilbao since April 2016 on Sunday as he was forced to sit out with injury.

The 28-year-old had played a whopping 251 league games in a row for the Spanish side and became a key piece in their forward line.

He has also scored 78 goals since joining the first team in 2014 after an impressive spell at Bilbao Athletic, the club’s B team.

Iñaki Williams has missed a La Liga game for the first time in almost seven years

Iñaki Williams has missed a La Liga game for the first time in almost seven years

The 28-year-old had played a whopping 251 league games in a row for Athletic Bilbao.

The 28-year-old had played a whopping 251 league games in a row for Athletic Bilbao.

Williams was not included in Bilbao’s squad to face Celta Vigo on Sunday after being injured in the last match against Valencia in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals.

He assisted two goals for Ernesto Valverde’s side as they progressed to the next round of the tournament with a 3-1 win.

The last time Williams missed a La Liga game, Leicester were Premier League champions, Arsene Wenger was Arsenal’s manager and England had yet to be knocked out of the Euros by Iceland.

Erneste Valverde's team faced Celta de Vigo this Sunday without the Ghanaian international

Erneste Valverde’s team faced Celta de Vigo this Sunday without the Ghanaian international

Fans showed their appreciation for the striker, who has played international football for both Ghana and Spain, as one tweeted that his value should be “through the roof” after going so long without missing a game.

His achievement was also described as ‘unreal’ and a ‘feat we will never see again in modern football’.

The severity of Williams’ injury is not currently known, so it is unclear if he will return in time for Bilbao’s next game against Cádiz on Friday.