MAN OF STEEL
Wales rugby star looks unrecognisable in throwback photo from old career at Tata Steel ahead of Six Nations
The full-back worked 250ft above ground over a blast furnace
WALES full-back Liam Williams looked unrecognisable during his previous life as a steel worker before becoming a rugby pro.
Williams, 32, was not taken up by any major academies growing up and had to make a contingency plan in case his rugby career never took off.
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He worked at Tata Steel works in Port Talbot as a scaffolder prior to signing for Scarlets aged 20.
He shared a throwback selfie from his time as a steelworker on , saying: "Good times in the coal injection."
According to , Williams spoke about rigging scaffolding "over the top of a bast furnace, 300 feet from the ground."
When Williams made his debut for Wales in the summer of 2012, he described himself as "the scaffolder living the dream".
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His father, Brian, says that despite Williams' start to life as a steelworks scaffolder, he never had any doubt that he would make it to the top of rugby.
He said: "He was always going to be a rugby player as he was so good at it, at a young age. He was brilliant.
"He was never a really good scaffolder anyway. At a young age nobody could ever catch him.
"One game he played as hooker and he went out through the No.8s legs and he was gone."
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Williams has previously spoken about his work at Tata Steel, saying: "The highest I climbed was about 250 feet and you are just looking down at the floor.
"I worked on the top of the blast furnace and that maybe even higher. It was fine and it's not something that bothers me."
Speaking on his disappointment at never being picked up by an academy, Williams said: "I just went to work. Nothing was spoon-fed.
"The Ospreys said I’d never be good enough. They said, 'Nah, I don’t think he’s going to make it'."
The fullback has made 89 appearances for Wales, scoring 100 points.
He joined Japanese side Kubota Spears following the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Williams has not been picked for the Wales squad for the Six Nations following his move to the Far East.
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