Wells to go up against Mr Consistency

Nahki Wells can expect a rollercoaster ride at Wembley but Ashley Williams has already experienced that — literally.

Wells will come up against a back line marshalled by the impressive Wales captain and centre-back, who has the unusual distinction as a footballer of having Drayton Manor theme park as past employers.

But Williams, who was controversially rested for the 5-0 thumping at the hands of Liverpool, has put those highs and lows behind him and been a model of consistency for the Swans. He was recently rewarded by manager Michael Laudrup with a new three-year-deal.

Despite this, he is still rumoured to be a summer transfer target for the Reds, who are crying out for stability at the heart of defence, something Williams’ club record of playing 169 games in a row suggests he is made for.

Williams, 28, has worked his way up the football ladder, playing for Hednesford Town and Stockport County before a deadline day move to Swansea that saw him sign the contract hurriedly on the bonnet of his car.

The key for Wells will be getting in behind the defender, simply because the Welshman is superb when facing the game. Comfortable on the ball — he can also play right-back — he reads the game exceptionally well.

Outside of the top six in the Premier League he is one of the most impressive performers statistically. At the end of the January transfer window he had the record of making the most overall contributions (243) — measured by tackles won, clearances, interceptions and blocks.

Only Everton’s Phil Jagielka (62) and Leighton Baines (54) attempted more tackles than Williams (42) but the Swansea player had the most interceptions. Strikingly, he made the most blocks of any defender in the league, including top-six clubs.

Wells can take solace though in the fact his strike partner James Hanson — himself a former shelf-stacker at Co-op — will likely play a more central role along the front line, giving the Bermudian his usual licence to run the channels and use his pace.

Williams’ CV suggest he is used to providing a scare or two. Hopefully, Sunday is Wells’ turn.

Routes to the final

How Bradford City and Swansea City made it to the Capital One Cup Final at Wembley:

Bradford City
First round: Notts County 0-1 (aet)
Second round: Watford 1-2
Third round: Burton 3-2 (aet)
Four round: Wigan 0-0 (2-4 pens)
Quarter-final: Arsenal 1-1 (3-2 pens)
Semi-final: Aston Villa (3-4 agg)
Nahki has three of his team’s goals in the Cup.

Swansea City
First round: Bye
Second round: Barnsley 3-0
Third round: Crawley 2-3
Four round: Liverpool 1-3
Quarter-final: Middlesbrough 1-0
Semi-final: Chelsea (2-0 agg)

Have a message for Nahki? E-mail James Burton: [email protected]. On Twitter, use #WellsAtWembley.
Our coverage of Wells at Wembley is sponsored by Digicel and Lindo’s.