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Full Name |
Neco Shay Williams |
|
Date of Birth |
April 13, 2001 |
|
Age (2026) |
25 years old |
|
Place of Birth |
Cefn Mawr, Wrexham, Wales |
|
Nationality |
Welsh |
|
Ethnicity |
White British (Welsh) |
|
Height |
1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) |
|
Weight |
72 kg (159 lbs) |
|
Position |
Left-back / Full-back |
|
Preferred Foot |
Right |
|
Current Club |
Nottingham Forest |
|
Shirt Number |
7 |
|
National Team |
Wales |
|
Contract Expires |
June 30, 2029 |
|
Weekly Wage |
Around £65,000 |
|
Annual Salary |
Around £3.4 million |
|
Market Value (2026) |
Around €25 million |
|
Estimated Net Worth |
$14 million to $16 million |
|
FC 26 Rating (Sofifa) |
80 OVR (Potential 82) |
|
Relationship Status |
In a relationship with Nicole Hagan |
|
Parents |
Lee Williams and Emma Jones |
|
|
@necowilliams01 |
Net Worth and Salary
Neco Williams has built a solid financial base over the last few years, mostly through his wages at Nottingham Forest, his sponsorship deal with Puma, and earnings from Wales appearances. He is not in the same wage bracket as the league's biggest stars, but for a 25-year-old defender he is doing very well.
Icon Polls estimates that his net worth in 2026 sits between $14 million and $16 million. That figure takes into account his career earnings since breaking through at Liverpool, his current Forest contract, endorsement income, and the typical investments young Premier League players make in property and small business stakes.
On the wage side, Williams currently earns roughly £65,000 per week at Nottingham Forest after signing a four-year extension in July 2025. That works out to around £3.4 million per year before bonuses. His contract runs until June 30, 2029, so he has plenty of runway to grow that figure further if his form keeps trending upward.
Parents and Family Background
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Neco was born in Cefn Mawr, a small village just outside Wrexham in North Wales. His father, Lee Williams, played non-league football for Cefn United, which is also where Neco kicked his first proper ball as a six-year-old. Football was always around the dinner table growing up.
His mother, Emma Jones, runs a dance studio called Dance Zone in Cefn Mawr. She has been a constant presence at his matches and on his social media, especially around Mother's Day posts that fans tend to enjoy. Neco has openly credited both of his parents for keeping him grounded during the early Liverpool years when things moved very fast.
He also has siblings. His younger brother Keelan Williams plays as a defender too and has been on the books at Burnley's academy and Denbigh Town. His sisters Taya, Sarae, and Ocea are all involved in dance and performance through their mother's studio.
Ethnicity and Nationality
Neco Williams is Welsh by birth and by identity. He is white British of Welsh heritage, born and raised in Wrexham, and he has represented Wales at every level from under-15 all the way through to the senior side. He was part of the Wales squad that qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which was the country's first appearance at the tournament since 1958, and he played a real part in getting them there.
Some older blogs incorrectly listed his ethnicity as English or even claimed he had Ghanaian roots, but those are confused with other players. His family is from Cefn Mawr, and his footballing identity is firmly Welsh.
Wife and Relationship Status
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Neco Williams is not married. As of 2026 he is in a long-term relationship with Nicole Hagan, who works as a model and content creator. She was first spotted publicly supporting him during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and the two have been together since.
They have kept things relatively low key compared to many Premier League couples, though Nicole occasionally appears on his social media and at Nottingham Forest matches. There has been talk among fans about an engagement, but nothing has been confirmed by either of them. Icon Polls notes that the pair are widely viewed as one of the more private football couples in the Welsh game.
Sofifa and FC 26 Rating
On Sofifa and the EA Sports FC 26 database, Neco Williams has an overall rating of 80 with a potential of 82. He is listed as a left back, with right foot as his preferred foot, two-star skill moves, and a three-star weak foot. His standout attributes are pace, stamina, and crossing, which fits the modern attacking full-back profile that Nuno Espirito Santo has built around him at Forest.
This is a noticeable jump from his FC 24 rating of 74, and reflects the consistent run of games he has had since switching permanently to left-back. Career Mode players tend to view him as a strong value pickup because his potential is still climbing and his wage demands stay reasonable in-game.
Transfer Values
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Neco Williams currently has a market value of around €25 million according to standard football valuation models, and that number has been climbing steadily since the start of the 2024 to 2025 season.
His transfer history tells the story of his rise. He left Liverpool for Nottingham Forest in July 2022 for a fee reported around £17 million, which was a major investment by Forest at the time. Before that he had a brief loan spell at Fulham in early 2022 that helped him get regular Championship minutes and develop his game.
There has been steady speculation about interest from clubs back in the Premier League's upper half, with Newcastle United and Tottenham occasionally linked in transfer windows. Icon Polls findings suggest his realistic transfer ceiling in 2026 sits in the €30 to €35 million range if Forest decide to sell, particularly to a Champions League club.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is Neco Williams?
Neco Williams is a Welsh professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Nottingham Forest in the Premier League and for the Wales national team. He came through the Liverpool academy before joining Forest permanently in 2022.
2. How old is Neco Williams in 2026?
He is 25 years old. He was born on April 13, 2001 in Cefn Mawr, Wrexham.
3. What is Neco Williams' net worth in 2026?
Icon Polls estimates his net worth to be between $14 million and $16 million in 2026, built mostly from his Liverpool and Nottingham Forest contracts plus his Puma endorsement.
4. How much does Neco Williams earn per week?
He earns around £65,000 per week at Nottingham Forest, which works out to roughly £3.4 million per year before bonuses.
5. When does Neco Williams' contract expire?
His current contract with Nottingham Forest runs until June 30, 2029, after he signed a four-year extension in July 2025.
6. Who are Neco Williams' parents?
His father is Lee Williams, a former non-league footballer for Cefn United. His mother is Emma Jones, who runs Dance Zone, a dance studio in Cefn Mawr.
7. Does Neco Williams have siblings?
Yes. He has a younger brother Keelan Williams, who is also a footballer, and three sisters: Taya, Sarae, and Ocea.
8. What is Neco Williams' ethnicity?
He is white British of Welsh heritage. He was born and raised in Cefn Mawr, Wrexham.
9. What nationality is Neco Williams?
He is Welsh. He has represented Wales from the under-15 level all the way to the senior national team.
10. Is Neco Williams married?
No, he is not married. He is in a long-term relationship with Nicole Hagan, a model who has been seen supporting him since the 2022 World Cup.
11. Who is Neco Williams' girlfriend?
His girlfriend is Nicole Hagan. The couple have been together since around 2022 and tend to keep their relationship out of the spotlight.
12. What position does Neco Williams play?
He plays as a full-back. He started his career as a right-back but has settled into a left-back role at Nottingham Forest under Nuno Espirito Santo.
13. What club does Neco Williams play for?
He plays for Nottingham Forest in the English Premier League and has been at the club since July 2022.
14. Why did Neco Williams leave Liverpool?
He left Liverpool in July 2022 to get regular first-team football. He had been behind Trent Alexander-Arnold in the Liverpool pecking order, and a permanent move to Nottingham Forest gave him a clear path to playing every week.
15. What is Neco Williams' market value in 2026?
His market value sits at around €25 million in 2026, and Icon Polls believes a sale price could reach the €30 to €35 million range if a top-six Premier League club came calling.
16. What is Neco Williams' rating on Sofifa and EA FC 26?
On Sofifa his FC 26 overall rating is 80, with a potential of 82. He is rated as a left-back with strong pace and stamina attributes.
17. How tall is Neco Williams?
He is 1.83 metres tall, which is roughly 6 feet.
18. Has Neco Williams played in the World Cup?
Yes. He was part of the Wales squad that qualified for and played at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, which was Wales' first World Cup appearance since 1958.
19. What boots does Neco Williams wear?
He is a Puma athlete and has been wearing the Puma Future series of boots for the last few seasons.
20. What is Neco Williams' Instagram handle?
His official Instagram username is @necowilliams01, where he posts match content, family photos, and lifestyle updates to over 680,000 followers.
21. Does Neco Williams have children?
There is no publicly confirmed information about Neco Williams having children as of 2026.
22. How many caps does Neco Williams have for Wales?
He has earned more than 40 senior caps for Wales since making his debut in September 2020, and has scored three goals for the national team.