Electrifying pace coupled with great skill and astonishingly supreme decision-making ability, Nico Williams has quietly taken over the Euros in Germany.

The 21-year-old, despite his mesmerising performances for Spain, has still managed to go under the radar.

Frankly speaking, the club you play for in the modern game has a huge influence on your popularity and hype.

Take Manchester United’s Antony for example. A huge transfer fee and a move from Ajax to the mighty Manchester United suddenly raised his rating, popularity, and eventually expectations.

But for those who watched him at Ajax, his struggles at Old Trafford aren’t necessarily surprising when considering his realistically moderate ceiling.

Nico Williams’ association with Athletic Bilbao, not your typical popular club, seems to be the only stumbling block in his name being mentioned among the best in his generation.

When one observes the sort of media hype around players like Lamine Yamal, Jamal Musiala, and Kobbie Mainoo, it’s hard not to reach the above conclusion, especially when their raw abilities are compared with Williams’.

Williams outscored Yamal in the just-ended 2023/24 season while playing nearly 13 games less. His goals also propelled Bilbao to a Copa del Rey trophy - their first piece of silverware in 40 years.

Williams edges Musiala in chances created and successful dribbles at the ongoing Euros. He is also showing a much more complete and holistic display, as compared to his teammate, Yamal, posting much better defensive numbers, particularly recoveries and possession won in the final third.

Not saying Nico Williams is a better player than his aforementioned peers, but he equally deserves the level of attention and hype their performances get.

Granted, Lamine being 16 and playing for Spanish powerhouse Barcelona adds to his stock.

It also makes for an impressive story, but per the evidence at the Euros, Williams is really up there among the best wingers in Europe.

It’s really just a matter of time before Williams makes the big move to one of the top teams in the world, and I’d bet this theory will be proven correct.

Until then, I’ll use my voice to project his superbly consistent performances!