{{Short description|Trinidadian footballer (born 1984)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Jan-Michael Williams | fullname = Jan-Michael Grantley Williams | image = JM Williams (cropped).jpg | caption = Williams in 2019 | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1984|10|26|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Couva]], Trinidad and Tobago | height = 1.90 m | position = [[Goalkeeper (association football)|Goalkeeper]] | currentclub = [[HFX Wanderers FC|HFX Wanderers]] (goalkeeper coach) | youthyears1 = 2000 | youthclubs1 = St Anthony's College | youthyears2 = 2001–2003 | youthclubs2 = [[W Connection F.C.|W Connection]] | years1 = 2003–2007 | clubs1 = [[W Connection F.C.|W Connection]] | caps1 = | goals1 = | years2 = 2007–2008 | clubs2 = [[RWS Bruxelles|White Star Woluwe]] | caps2 = 1 | goals2 = 0 | years3 = 2008–2009 | clubs3 = [[Ferencvárosi TC|Ferencváros]] | caps3 = 9 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 2009 | clubs4 = [[Athletic Club of BC]] | caps4 = 19 | goals4 = 0 | years5 = 2010–2013 | clubs5 = [[W Connection F.C.|W Connection]] | caps5 = | goals5 = | years6 = 2013 | clubs6 = [[St. Ann's Rangers F.C.|St. Ann's Rangers]] | caps6 = | goals6 = | years7 = 2013–2017 | clubs7 = [[Central F.C.|Central FC]] | caps7 = | goals7 = | years8 = 2017 | clubs8 = [[North East Stars F.C.|North East Stars]] | caps8 = | goals8 = | years9 = 2017–2018 | clubs9 = [[Juticalpa F.C.|Juticalpa]] | caps9 = 9 | goals9 = 0 | years10 = 2018 | clubs10 = [[Sacachispas]] | caps10 = 6 | goals10 = 0 | years11 = 2019–2020 | clubs11 = [[HFX Wanderers FC|HFX Wanderers]] | caps11 = 12 | goals11 = 0 | totalcaps = | totalgoals = | nationalyears1 = 2001 | nationalteam1 = [[Trinidad and Tobago national under-17 football team|Trinidad and Tobago U17]] | nationalcaps1 = 9 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | nationalyears2 = 2003–2004 | nationalteam2 = [[Trinidad and Tobago national under-20 football team|Trinidad and Tobago U20]] | nationalcaps2 = 13 | nationalgoals2 = 0 | nationalyears3 = 2003–2017 | nationalteam3 = [[Trinidad and Tobago national football team|Trinidad and Tobago]] | nationalcaps3 = 80 | nationalgoals3 = 0 }}
'''Jan-Michael Grantley Williams''' (born 26 October 1984) is a Trinidadian [[association football|football]] coach and former player who works as goalkeeper coach for [[HFX Wanderers FC|HFX Wanderers]]. A former [[goalkeeper (association football)|goalkeeper]], he made 80 appearances for the [[Trinidad and Tobago national football team|Trinidad and Tobago national team]] and played professionally in Trinidad, Belgium, Hungary, Honduras, Guatemala and Canada.<ref name="Retirement" />
==Club career== ===W Connection=== Williams played for [[W Connection]] in Trinidad and Tobago and had trials with [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]] in 2003 alongside [[Kenwyne Jones]]. He was the Pro League Player of the Year in 2006 as well as the T & T Pro League Goalkeeper of the year in 2006.
On 27 March 2007, he was the first goalkeeper to score in a Pro Bowl game when he scored a header against [[United Petrotrin]] in injury time to send the tie into extra-time and penalties. He saved 2 penalties to send his team into the final of the 2007 Pro Bowl competition. The final, against [[Superstar Rangers]] also went to a penalty shoot-out when Williams saved another 2 penalties to help his team win the T&T Pro League Trophy.
With W Connection Williams has a T&T PFL Championship winners medal, earned in 2005 and a CFU Club Champions Cup winners medal, earned in 2006.
===White Star Woluwe=== Williams again left his country in June 2007 for trials with Hungarian club [[Újpest FC]] who offered him a contract but he delayed his decision in order to trial with Sheffield United. In July 2007, while on trial with Sheffield United, Williams played in a pre-season friendly against [[Alfreton Town F.C.|Alfreton Town]]. On 25 July 2007, he was offered a contract by Sheffield United. While waiting for his work permit, he signed a short-term contract with [[Belgian Third Division]] side [[RWS Bruxelles|White Star Woluwe]].<ref>[http://www.whitestar.be/actualite/foreign-players_en.htm WILLIAMS PLAYS FIRST GAME IN BELGIUM] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080317190014/http://www.whitestar.be/actualite/foreign-players_en.htm |date=17 March 2008 }} - Royal White Star Woluwe club website</ref>
===Ferencváros=== After he had his work permit application rejected, he signed a 1+1 year contract with [[Ferencvárosi TC|Ferencváros]] on 15 July 2008.<ref>[http://www.ftc.hu/index.php?action=players&p_id=1378&stat=1 Ferencváros profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100125105656/http://www.ftc.hu/index.php?action=players&p_id=1378&stat=1 |date=25 January 2010 }} - {{in lang|hu}}</ref> He played his first game for the green and white club against [[Sheffield United F.C.|Sheffield United]] the previous day. Williams was in summer 2009 released rejoined [[W Connection]].
Williams again left his country in August 2011 on trial with Belgian Third Division club [[R.O.C. de Charleroi-Marchienne|ROCCM]] where he joined fellow T&T teammate [[Radanfah Abu Bakr]].
===Central FC=== Williams signed with Trinidadian club [[Central FC]] for three years. He also played in the [[CONCACAF Champions League]].
===Juticalpa=== In 2017 Williams moved to [[Hondurian First Division]] team [[Juticalpa]] where he played 9 games and spent another 21 in the bench.
===Sacachispas=== In the next couple of years [[Sacachispas]], a Second Division team in Guatemala, was his team.
===HFX Wanderers=== Williams signed with [[HFX Wanderers FC|HFX Wanderers]] on 10 January 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hfxwanderersfc.canpl.ca/article/wanderers-announce-first-ever-international-player-signings-as-trinidad-and-tobago-quartet|title=Wanderers announce first ever international player signings as Trinidad and Tobago quartet|date=10 January 2019|first=Gareth|last=Hampshire|access-date=10 January 2019|archive-date=11 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190111055026/https://hfxwanderersfc.canpl.ca/article/wanderers-announce-first-ever-international-player-signings-as-trinidad-and-tobago-quartet|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was named the first ever captain of the squad, and made his debut against [[Pacific FC]] in the club's inaugural match on 28 April 2019.<ref name="SW">{{cite web |title=J. Williams |url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/jan-michael-williams/10067/ |publisher=Soccerway |access-date=10 December 2019}}</ref> Williams suffered injury problems as the season went on, and partway through the season backup [[Christian Oxner]] took as the number one. He went on to make twelve league appearances that season and three in the [[Canadian Championship]].<ref name="SW" /> Williams retired at the end of the season, but was hired on with the club as a goalkeeping coach.<ref name="Retirement">{{cite web |author1=Gareth Hampshire |title=Wanderers bring back veteran goalkeeper Jan-Michael Williams as coach |url=https://hfxwanderersfc.canpl.ca/article/wanderers-bring-back-veteran-goalkeeper-jan-michael-williams-as-coach |publisher=HFX Wanderers FC |access-date=10 December 2019 |date=10 December 2019 |archive-date=10 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191210213633/https://hfxwanderersfc.canpl.ca/article/wanderers-bring-back-veteran-goalkeeper-jan-michael-williams-as-coach |url-status=dead }}</ref>
On 11 August 2020, after an injury to [[Christian Oxner|Oxner]], HFX announced Williams would come out of retirement temporarily to serve as back-up to [[Jason Beaulieu]] during the [[2020 Canadian Premier League season]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://northerntribune.ca/halifax-wanderers-jan-michael-williams-2020/|title=Halifax Wanderers Add Jan-Michael Williams To Matchday Roster|date=11 August 2020|first=John|last=Jacques}}</ref>
==International career== Williams was selected as the second-choice goalkeeper for T&T at the 2001 FIFA Under 17 World Championship. He was also part of the 2003 Under-23 squad.
Williams was selected as the [[Trinidad and Tobago national football team|Trinidad and Tobago senior national team]]'s number 1 for the [[2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup]] where he played against [[El Salvador national football team|El Salvador]], [[Guatemala national football team|Guatemala]] and [[United States men's national soccer team|United States]].
==Coaching career== [[File:Jan-Michael Williams.jpg|thumb|Williams as coach with [[HFX Wanderers FC|HFX Wanderers]] in 2022]] On 10 December 2019, Williams retired from playing and was appointed as the new goalkeeper coach for [[HFX Wanderers FC|HFX Wanderers]].<ref name="Retirement" />
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{NFT|8318}} * {{Soccerway|jan-michael-williams/10067}}
{{HFX Wanderers FC squad}} {{Navboxes colour | bg = gold | fg = navy | title = Awards | list1 = {{TT Pro League Player of the Year}} }} {{Navboxes colour | title = Trinidad and Tobago squads | bg = #ce1126 | fg = white | bordercolor = black | list1 = {{Trinidad and Tobago squad 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup}} {{Trinidad and Tobago squad 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup}} {{Trinidad and Tobago squad 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup}} }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Jan-Michael}} [[Category:1984 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Men's association football goalkeepers]] [[Category:Trinidad and Tobago men's footballers]] [[Category:21st-century Trinidad and Tobago sportsmen]] [[Category:People from Couva–Tabaquite–Talparo]] [[Category:Trinidad and Tobago expatriate men's footballers]] [[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium]] [[Category:Trinidad and Tobago expatriate sportspeople in Belgium]] [[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Hungary]] [[Category:Trinidad and Tobago expatriate sportspeople in Hungary]] [[Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in Canada]] [[Category:Trinidad and Tobago expatriate sportspeople in Canada]] [[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Honduras]] [[Category:Trinidad and Tobago expatriate sportspeople in Honduras]] [[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Guatemala]] [[Category:Trinidad and Tobago expatriate sportspeople in Guatemala]] [[Category:W Connection F.C. players]] [[Category:RWS Bruxelles players]] [[Category:Ferencvárosi TC footballers]] [[Category:La Horquetta Rangers F.C. players]] [[Category:Central F.C. players]] [[Category:AC Port of Spain players]] [[Category:Juticalpa F.C. players]] [[Category:HFX Wanderers FC players]] [[Category:TT Pro League players]] [[Category:Belgian Third Division players]] [[Category:Nemzeti Bajnokság II players]] [[Category:Pacific Coast Soccer League players]] [[Category:Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional de Honduras players]] [[Category:Canadian Premier League players]] [[Category:Trinidad and Tobago men's under-20 international footballers]] [[Category:Trinidad and Tobago men's international footballers]] [[Category:2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup players]] [[Category:2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup players]] [[Category:2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup players]] [[Category:HFX Wanderers FC non-playing staff]]