A year after being released by Manchester United, defender Brandon Williams has been on trial at another club and looks to have convinced them to sign him permanently
Brandon Williams is in talks with Hull
Brandon Williams is in talks with Hull City(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
Brandon Williams is set to be offered a permanent contract by Hull City to bring a year of unemployment to an end. The full-back has been on trial at the MKM stadium in recent weeks as he bids to return to full-time football.
The former Manchester United defender made his second appearance for the Tigers as they faced Getafe on Saturday, having already featured in a friendly against Sunderland. And now he is set to be afforded an opportunity to impress over a longer period with Hull hoping to get a deal ratified ahead of their first match of the season against Coventry City, per Hull Live.
Williams, 24, was released by United little over a year ago and has been without a club since. Earlier this year he was handed a suspended jail sentence for a 99mph car crash.
The Red Devils academy product was sentenced to a 14-month jail term, suspended for two years, at Chester Crown Court. In the aftermath, he stated his ambition to get back on the pitch.
“I have always accepted that my driving that day fell below the standard that is expected of me. It was never my intention to cause injury to anyone but I am responsible for the standard of my driving. I make no excuses. I have learnt from this experience and will ensure there is no repetition.
“I wish to apologise again to those who were involved in the accident. Now that the case has concluded I look forward to resuming my career with a new team later this year.”
Williams last played a competitive match during his spell on loan at Ipswich Town in the Championship. The defender's most recent appearance came against QPR in late December 2023.
Nevertheless, Hull believe Williams still holds potential, and boss Sergej Jakirovic is prepared to give the versatile defender another opportunity. Speaking last week, the Bosnia coach spoke highly of the trialist.
Brandon Williams
Brandon Williams last played competitively for Ipswich in December 2023
"I like to help people because everyone deserves a second chance in life," he said.
"I spoke with him very honestly, and I explained to him what I expect from him. We will be very careful, very, very slow. We have time, so we will try to help him.
"I think the quality is there because he was on a high level at Man United, so his quality is there. We need him to bring good fitness, and then we will make a decision. For me, his mentality is good. From our conversations, he's a very normal guy.
"He just asked me yesterday (Monday), 'can I play?' and then I asked him, 'do you feel comfortable to play some minutes?' His desire is there, and so is the hard work. On Saturday, we left him here in Hull to carry on training and so far, everything has gone according to the plan."
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