Athletic Club forward Iñaki Williams played two years with a two-centimetre shard of glass on his left foot unknowingly, his club coach Ernesto Valverde has said.
The Ghana international underwent surgery to treat a painful scar on his left foot on Tuesday and that was when doctors discovered there was a piece of glass embedded in the sole of his foot.
Iñaki posted an image on Instagram stories showing the piece of glass that was removed from his foot earlier this week.
Valverde explained that two years ago during a vacation, Iñaki had stepped on a glass that resulted in a deep foot wound.
“Iñaki Williams has broken a record for consecutive games played and has won a Copa del Rey whilst having a two-centimetre glass stuck in the sole of his foot,” Valverde said on Friday. “It’s amazing, but it’s like that.
“He [Iñaki] has given me permission to tell this story because it is worth telling.
“For a few months he was reporting discomfort in his scar.
“He was undergoing treatment and after the Copa del Rey final — on April 6 — he had an MRI and he still had a glass stuck in the sole of his foot. When they stitched him up [two years ago], they left a glass of about two centimetres and it was already approaching the bone or a tendon.
“The doctor and I started laughing [when we found out] because we couldn’t believe it.”
Iñaki, 29, had played a LaLiga record run of 251 consecutive games for Athletic before it ended in January 2023 after picking up a rare injury.
He has scored 14 goals in 39 appearances in all competitions this season and started alongside his brother, Nico Williams, in the Copa del Rey final win against RCD Mallorca on April 6.