Black Spaniard: Inaki wants to play for Spain, not Ghana

Athletico Bilbao forward, Inaki Williams has expressed the desire to turn up in international football for the country of his birth, Spain and not Ghana or Liberia where his parents come from.

Born to a Liberian father and a Ghanaian mother in Spain's Basque region on 15 June 1994, the 20 year old is just establishing himself in the Athletico Bilbao side after earning promotion from the club's second tier side only in January.

The youngster opened his account for the club last week in their UEFA Europa League last 32 away tie in Italy to Torino in a 2-2 draw, becoming the first black player to score for the Basque club.

Now ahead of the decisive return leg in Bilbao later this evening, Williams has indicated his plans to play for Spain, his skin colour notwithstanding.

'You hear people say 'A black player at Atletico Bilbao? We've never seen that before.' I just laugh. My name is Inaki and I'm from Basque,' Inaki told Thinking Football.

'My parents came here over two decades ago and I can identify with the stories because they did so much for me. I was born here, I've been here for 20 years and although you never forget your roots, I feel Basque," he explained.

The youngster has made 5 (1 start) appearances in the Spanish Primera Liga for Bilbao since joining the senior team and of course netted his first goal for the club barely nine minutes into his European debut, putting Bilbao ahead at the Olympic Stadium in Turin in the eventual 2-2 draw last week. Follow @thedonplato