With a delighted look on his face, Ethan Williams recalled, “It was a training ground move, I’m just glad that it went in”, after giving Cheltenham Town the lead at the EV Charger Points Stadium and scoring his first home goal for the club since joining on loan from Manchester United.
A first goal on home turf 🏡#ctfc♦️ pic.twitter.com/bIpTriNH2V
— Cheltenham Town (@CTFCofficial) March 2, 2025
“I wasn’t taking it because we were just looking for a change in routine because over the past few weeks, we’ve been trying to take more short corners and so maybe that hasn’t worked out for us and led to goal-scoring opportunities.
“It was my first goal at home so I was proper chuffed and I went straight into the crowd.
“Like I said, I was just chuffed it went in – I don’t know how it went through the crowd – it was more of a hit and hope kind of thing.
“We’ll see what the gaffer and the set-piece coaches can come up with in training and before the games, hopefully I’ll be on the end of some more of those kind of chances.”
Williams joined the club in January on loan from Premier League Manchester United.
The winger has been a bright spark in the Robins’ attack, contributing two goals and two assists in eight league appearances.
“I got a few texts from the coaches at United saying the goal from Bruno against Fulham was similar to mine.
“Maybe not quite influenced but there were similarities, he came onto it with his left and put it into the far corner.”
“I’m a young player, it’s my first loan move; so I’m just trying to rack up experience under my belt. In academy football, my game is to create and score goals – that’s my main job as an attacking wide player.
In academies I try and do that to the best of my ability and now adapt it into men’s football.”
“In terms of what I’m trying to achieve here, it’s experience.
“I’m trying to play the best I can in the minutes I can get and trying to put the team into the best position possible”
Williams and his Cheltenham Town teammates travel to Valley Parade Tuesday night to face an in-form Braford City side, who haven’t lost at home in Sky Bet League Two since the 9th of November.
“I try my best. The most important thing is getting the three points on Tuesday night, but if I can contribute by scoring or assisting, then that would be ‘mint’.
“They’re in really good for, as are we, so it should be a really good game and we’ll be ready to try and go there and get a result.”
“Bradford is a lot bigger than Cheltenham but we’ll bring our fans and hopefully it can be a good night out for us.
“Since playing in the league so far, the crowd does make a big impact and being away from home, it does make it a lot more difficult to get a result.
The pitch, the crowd, the fans, the stadium, the atmosphere should be good.
“It’s a very difficult place to go. Everyone knows they’re a very good side and they’re near the top for a reason, so we’ve got to respect them but – at the same time – go there and play with no fear.”
