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REAL MADRID - ATHLETIC

Iñaki Williams: "My future is here with Athletic Club"

Despite rumoured interest from Liverpool, Iñaki Williams says he is happy in Bilbao. Later tonight he will make his first appearance at the Bernabéu
Sevilla-Leganés: Copa del Rey

Iñaki Williams: "My future is here with Athletic Club"
JUAN FLORDIARIO AS

This evening's meeting with Real Madrid will be a first for Iñaki Williams - it will be the first time he has played at the Bernabéu where he will be hoping to give Athletic Club their first victory in 11 years.

Have you got over last week's defeat to Genk?

Yes, defeats like that hurt, but we havent got time to be be feeling sorry for ourselves. We've a got a very complicated game coming up on Sunday, one in which we have to give a good account of ourselves and try to take all three points.

Contrasting displays

Why do you think Athletic have looked like two completely different sides in a matter of days?

I don't know what to tell you. Someday things just dfon't go your way. We can't be waiting for other teams to force into a reaction. Our wing play needs a bit of attention; and in the first half, Muniain and myself should have offered a bit more to our game through the middle.

Aduriz had a goal disallowed when the score was at 0-0; you put it on a plate for him but it was offside by centimetres…

I was moving very fast and could see Aduriz asking me for the ball but I don't know whether he was offside or not. I played the ball through sheer inertia as I was going so quickly.

Iñaki Williams celebrates his goal in last week's Basque derby.
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Iñaki Williams celebrates his goal in last week's Basque derby.Luis TejidoEFE

Moving on to Sunday's game, Athletic will be without Yeray and Aduriz. Will that decrease Athletic's options?

It's a real shame, both of them have been playing at a great level. Yeray has been a big surprise, he's doing fantastically well and Aduriz is our reference, our Mr. Goal. Those who us who play will have to do the same. We'll be going all out to win at the Bernabéu. We have a lot of players who are waiting for their opportunity.

Maybe this is your chance to take over as centre-forward - Valverde's used you there a few times and so have Celades with the Under-21s...

I've always been a forward, it's where I feel most comfortable - close to the goal.

If you're played out wide, you will have to drop back to track Marcelo…

Marcelo goes forward a lot, we've got to stop him as best as we can. If we force him into defending more, he won't be able to go up his wing.

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JUAN FLORDIARIO AS

Bernabéu debut

You've scored twice at Camp Nou but you've never played at the Bernabéu; have you imagined what it would be like to score there?

It's special for me to play my first game at the Bernabéu and there's a lot of expectation. I'll try and call on all of my virtues to help the team. I am taking it as just another game. I'm quite relaxed about it. It'd be great to score a goal which helped the team to win or come away with points, that would help to keep us among the top teams in the table.

Last season you scored some stunning goals but you've only recently got off the mark, last week in the derby...

Football is all about confidence and when you are feeling good, you'll have a pop on goal wherever you are, and it'll go in. I'm feeling good right now.

Asensio, team mates at international level

With Spain's Under-21s you ae team mates with Marco Asensio...

Marco is brilliant - what a player; he is very young and he has a lot of talent. He is really good with the ball at his feet. He deserves the great season he's having because he works very hard, he's a great person and I wish him the best.

Has he ever mentioned that his father is Basque and wanted him to play for Athletic?

I always rib him and joke with him that one day he will end up playing for Athletic. But he's fine where he is at Madrid and I don't think he's thinking of joining us.

Liverpool interest

You signed a contract extension with Athletic last season with your retension fee set to 50 million euros, but Liverpool are back knocking at the door. How long will we keep seeing you at San Mamés?

Like I said at the time. I'm happy at Athletic, it's where I want to be. I am very grateful to the fans, the club and my team mates. I want to continue here for many more years. I want to be Athletic's furture No.9 - the player who raises the roof at San Mamés every week and scores lot of goals.