Ashley Williams: Wales captain’s ‘unbelievable journey’ comes to an end

“You could nick a cap here.”

He did. A total of 86, in fact, by the time he last pulled on the red shirt in a 1-0 defeat by Hungary in June 2019.

In that time he had won promotion through the divisions with Swansea City, captaining them in the Premier League, to a League Cup triumph and to acclaim in the Europa League, before a £12m move to Everton.

Then there is Wales, where he was among those who suffered the ignominy of being ranked 117th in the world and went on to lead them out at the semi-finals of Euro 2016.

Not a bad fare for the man who worked part-time as a waiter – as well as a petrol station attendant and at a theme park – having been released by West Brom as a teenager.

“He saw the other side of life – he saw what it was like to have a real job, a proper job,” his former Wales manager Chris Coleman told BBC Radio Wales.

“When he got the chance to be a professional footballer I think that’s why he played so many games and never missed training sessions because he knew how lucky we all are to be involved in this great game.

“He enjoyed every minute and gave everything that he had.

“I think that’s why he was such an infectious character and why he was such a great leader, not just because of his ability to play football but because of his personality and the way he went about his business.”

Williams restarted at local non-league side Hednesford, then to Stockport, then to Swansea, gaining the trust of John Toshack in the Wales set-up after his debut in Luxembourg in March 2008.

He hardly missed a game for club nor country since, mixing the toughness and simplicity derived from his humble beginnings with a class on the ball and a penchant for a searching diagonal that wingers for club and country so often lapped up.

He would boom encouragement to the youngsters around him, or make his feelings known if standards had slipped – even if it was on the touchline rather than a team-mate.