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Spain forward Nico Williams has said that he used to learn a lot from former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba during his childhood.
Williams, 20, rose to prominence after registering three goals and one assist in 1631 minutes of action for Athletic Bilbao last season. He has maintained his momentum this season as he has opened the 2022-23 campaign on a positive note for Ernesto Valverde's side.
An electric forward with a direct approach to dribbling, Williams has already netted twice and laid out two assists in six La Liga appearances this season. Due to his brilliant form, he was called up to Spain's national team by head coach Luis Enrique for their upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures.
In an interview with MARCA, Williams was asked about which striker he used to look up to while growing up. He replied:
"Didier Drogba. My brother liked me a lot and he played videos of Drogba for me and he told me to pay attention to that player because he was very good. I was very young, but he put the highlights on YouTube for me and I watched a lot to learn."
Drogba earned his name during his nine-year stint with Chelsea, divided into two terms. An all-round striker with excellent heading prowess, the Ivorian scored 164 goals and provided 86 assists in 381 matches for the Blues.
He helped Chelsea lift 14 trophies, including four Premier League titles and one UEFA Champions League trophy.
Discussing his Spanish idols, Williams added:
"My great idol is my brother [Inaki Williams], but here are some that I pay close attention to in order to have things that I don't have in my game – Marco Asensio, Dani Carvajal and Jordi Alba. Some phenomena."
Williams is expected to make his senior-team debut in Spain's upcoming clashes against Switzerland and Portugal on September 24 and 27 respectively.
Chelsea's Cesar Azpilicueta named in final Spain squad before FIFA World Cup
Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta has been included in the Spain squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League group-stage matches.
He signed a new two-year contract earlier this summer with Chelsea. Azpilicueta has played 483 matches for the Blues since joining from Marseille in 2012.
Here is the La Roja squad, which was announced last week:
Goalkeepers: Unai Simon, Robert Sanchez, David Raya
Defenders: Pau Torres, Jordi Alba, Jose Gaya, Hugo Guillamon, Diego Llorente, Eric Garcia, Cesar Azpilicueta, Dani Carvajal
Midfielders: Sergio Busquets, Rodri, Pedri, Koke, Gavi, Carlos Soler, Marcos Llorente
Forwards: Pablo Sarabia, Nico Williams, Marco Asensio, Alvaro Morata, Borja Iglesias, Yeremy Pino, Ferran Torres
Currently ranked sixth in the world, Spain have been drawn in Group E of the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar alongside Germany, Japan and Costa Rica. The tournament is set to kick off on November 21, with the final on December 18.
