Liverpool have announced that Rhys Williams‘ latest loan spell has ended just 16 days after the deal was announced, having sustained another injury.
There were plenty of hopes that Williams could establish himself in a first-team environment this season, but injury has played a significant role in scuppering his campaign.
The centre-back joined Aberdeen on loan in the summer, but early back issues delayed his transition into the team, and he never went on to make a senior appearance for the Scottish side.
He was recalled in January and trained with the club’s under-21s before League One’s Port Vale were identified as his next opportunity to get back on track.
Manager Andy Crosby spoke of his “delight” to have Williams in his squad for the rest of the season, but it was only for a short period of time as the 22-year-old is now back at Kirkby due to injury.
Both Liverpool and Port Vale confirmed the news on Thursday afternoon, and although the Reds did not specify the issue, the League One club’s statement on X said it was an “emergence of an underlying injury issue.”
Considering he has returned to the club and his loan move quickly brought to an end, Williams clearly needs a prolonged period on the sidelines to rehabilitate, and he is in the best hands to do so.
The 22-year-old is under contract at Liverpool until 2026 and the hope is that his latest injury setback will not derail his ability to build his fitness back up in pre-season.
