'He's a good footballer, isn't he?' - Scott Lindsey says stepson was 'surprised' by how good midfielder was in training

He has been consistent on the pitch in the pivot role next to Liam Kelly – but also consistent in picking up yellow cards. From the outside looking in, the 23-year-old is a defensive midfield enforcer who looks to disrupt the opposition with an aggressive, tough tackling style.

But if you watch him closely, he is more than that. In the recent wins against Forest Green Rovers and AFC Wimbledon, as well having tough battles in the centre of the park – especially with Omar Bugiel against the Dons – he showed what a good passer and controller of the ball he is.

And Reds boss Scott Lindsey has been impressed with how he has settled in at this standard and always knew he was more than just someone who was going to get a few yellow cards.

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He said: “I took my step son to training last week. He’s a young teenager but he knows his football. We were driving home and I asked him ‘anybody surprise you?’.

“He said, ‘Jay Williams is a good footballer isn’t he? I didn’t realise how good he was on the ball’. I went, ‘yeah, he’s brilliant, a really good footballer’.

“I agree that the perception is that Jay is a tough-tackling, aggressive midfield player but actually he is a very good and smart footballer and I think he is fantastic. To say he has come from Banbury United last season to come and play at this standard, he’s proved he is one of the best midfielders in this division.

“I think he’s had a great season so far.

“He had a great battle on Tuesday night against a tough opponent in Omar Bugiel. They had a real ding dong the pair of them and not one of them moaned at each other, they just got on with it.

“This is what I want from him. There have been times he has reacted to something he didn’t need to and got booked and he has to learn not to do it, which he is working hard on.”

Williams played at Banbury United in National League North last season and had signed for Brackley Town in the summer. But Crawley Town swooped to get him in what proved to be another inspired signing from Non League by the club.

Lindsey said: “We worked on that one. The owners bought him to the table through the recruitment system and I watched him in detail. When I watched him he was playing on the right hand side of a back three and he stepped in well, looked like he could play but be really aggressive as well. I thought he could play in that position for me or in the centre of that three. But I also wanted someone to play in that pivot role next to Liam Kelly.

“I felt he could do that and he has more than proved that, so really pleased with that side of the recruitment.”