Analysing the Zac Williams sign & loan and what comes next

We are officially in uncharted territory. We've had players refuse to sign new contracts before. Byron Moore did it twice, eventually re-signing on both occasions before departing on a free transfer at the age of 24. Max Clayton did it in 2014 and after weeks of trials at various clubs, was able to sign for Bolton as they agreed to pay the Alex's asking price.

Then in recent years, we've seen players like Perry Ng, Ryan Wintle and Luke Offord leave, but they were all 24 and able to leave for free. The last most obvious example was Rio Adebisi, who was out of contract last summer but found a buyer in Peterborough.

So, unless I'm forgetting someone, every player that tried to force their way out of the club either did so by finding a buying club or admitted defeat and re-signed for the club until they were able to leave for free.

Well, in Zac Williams we have a whole new situation. Here we have a player that for the better part of 18-24 months has clearly been desiring a move away from the club. Once his contract expired this summer, he simply refused to sign a new one. However, what makes him different is that when no willing buyer stepped forward, rather than swallow his pride, return to the club and knuckle down and get on with things, he stubbornly dug his heels in and refused to budge.

Days turned into weeks as his situation seemingly showed no signs of changing. But then, yesterday, the club announced that he had signed a new deal. Ok, issue over right? Well, not exactly. No, him signing was done in conjunction with a loan move to Kilmarnock in the SFPL. The move seemed to confuse some fans, so let's break it down.

The Rules

I think most fans are familiar with the rules but let's just recap. which I believe are still accurate at the time of posting, but apologies if they are wrong. To my understanding, if a player is under the age of 24 at the end of any given season, i.e. 23 or younger, and refuses to sign a new contract, should he wish to move on, his parent club are entitled to compensation. How much compensation is either thrashed out by the buying and selling clubs or is determined by an Elite Player Performance Plan(EPPP) tribunal.

To be eligible for compensation on a player, the parent club has to present a contract either the same as the last one signed by the player or an improved on. And where the player moves to doesn't matter I believe. In the past, moves outside of the EFL meant compensation rules were moot, but now I don't think that is the case.

On Williams

Williams signed a 2 year deal with the option of an extra year in 2022. The 2 year deal ran out last summer and it was extended for a further year.

So, logic says that the deal he has just signed is a 2 year deal with the option of a 3rd. That would make sense, as he is 21 now and will be 22 in March. He will be eligible to leave for no compensation at the end of the 2027-28 season, or 3 years time, which this new deal would cover.

However, you have to ask why the change of mind. After all, I doubt much has changed in his head over the last 18-24 months to make him suddenly sign. Well, along came Kilmarnock offering him an escape.

He now heads north of the border on a full season loan deal. The end game for him is clearly to hope that a full season in the Scottish top flight will allow him to flourish and put himself in the shop window to the point where clubs that passed on him this summer come in for him next summer.

However, the same issues remain. His lack of a clear position(LWB/LB/LCB in a back 4 or 5), his immaturity and penchant for mistakes will still hold him back unless the change of surroundings see him find new levels to his game. He'll also need to mellow his attitude, which from rumours is believed to have been an issue on and off the pitch. His 11 yellow cards last season and multiple suspensions were embarrassing for a player the club touted as a leader and made the deputy captain in the absence of Mickey Demetriou.

Points of View

As mentioned, Williams has clearly been desperate to get away from the Alex for a while. Perhaps the rumoured interest from Brighton 3 years ago turned his head and he regrets not pursuing that. Maybe he doesn't get on with the coaching staff. Maybe he hates the local area and wants a fresh start away from his hometown, which for some isn't also a comfort blanket. This move will be the making or breaking of him. If he can't hack it there, then he'll come slinking back to the Alex with his stock in an even lower position than it is right now. And he'll still be locked into the club for another 2 seasons after this one.

For the club, manager Lee Bell said it's a good deal for all concerned and I supposed it might seem that way. But the club, like Williams, are gambling on him smashing it in Scotland. Should he not, the club could have just kicked the issue down the road by 12 months and will have the same headache next summer.

What's Next?

Either way, he won't be around the Alex any longer this season, which can only be a good thing. I don't know for certain, but I've seen enough on the pitch and heard enough about him off it to believe he was and is/was not a great personality to have around the club. A want away player with a chip on his shoulder, that isn't good to have around when he clearly didn't want to be there.

With Cooney, Long and now Williams gone, the only problem child they are left with is Omar Bogle, who's "illness" continues to see him absent from the club. Now that Williams' situation is done and dusted, they can hopefully focus all their efforts on coming to some sort of amicable settlement with Bogle to see him move on.

Although, as with Williams, Bogle doesn't seem to have many suitors, given we are 2 weeks into the season and he remains sat at home, not playing football. He's had no pre-season, played no games since the middle of April and his stock won't be getting any higher. Finding a way to get rid of Williams, even for 12 months, is impressive. If they can find a way to move on from Bogle, that would be outstanding work.