The Portsmouth player with a point to prove and ‘everything at stake’ at season’s climax
Jordan Williams believes he has six games to show Pompey fans his true worth and help secure their Championship place.
And the defender acknowledged ‘everything is at stake’ for both himself and his team, after his return to John Mousinho’s starting line-up.
Williams couldn’t help the Blues to a return at Millwall, as he started his first game in two-and-a-half months in the 2-1 reverse at The Den.
The latest problem came with the summer arrival from Barnsley’s form accelerating following a man-of-the-match showing against Stoke in January.
That’s been the Williams story of a campaign, which has been restricted to 13 starts and four outings off the bench, after signing a three-year deal last June.
Now the 25-year-old is keen to show his true worth at a critical moment in the campaign.
Williams said: ‘It’s six games for me to play now, and I want to be contributing to every one of them.
‘Hopefully I can play my part in the team kicking on and picking up as many points as we can.
‘It’s been a strange stop-start season, hopefully I can help the team to push on now over the remaining games.
‘I feel like I was starting to show everyone what I was about in those final games before I picked up my injury.
‘So it’s just about finding that rhythm to get my season going again - and there’s six games left to do that now.
‘I know I’ve got the backing from the gaffer which is good to know - it’s down to me to go out and show what I can do.
‘We’ve all got to rally together now because there will be highs and lows - we have to keep digging deep individually, as a team and as a club.’
The Millwall defeat means the gap between Pompey and the bottom three has been cut to four points, with six games remaining for John Mousinho’s side.
They now go to Coventry looking to improve their dreadful away form, before Derby County arrive at Fratton Park in what is shaping up to be a crucial Championship survival battle.
Williams lays it on line to Pompey
WIlliams knows what’s at stake for Mousinho’s men - and feel it’s a challenge they have to embrace at the business end of the season.
He added: ‘I feel if you look at us at the start of the season to now, we’ve improved massively.
‘We’re still in a good position, so it’s just about staying positive and picking up those points.
‘Every point is vital, it’s the key part of the season that we have to thrive on.
‘Everything is at stake, so we have to relish this opportunity now to get those points to stay up.’