JJ Williams names what'll drive him 'crazy' amid first Hearts goal as targets ready to be 'smashed and broken'
The summer signing at Hearts has made a positive impact on his first start,
He scored and assisted on a night of Hearts cup success - but JJ Williams admits he’ll be going crazy over not bursting the net three times.
The American striker signed from Rhode Island of the USL Championship last month made his first start for the Tynecastle side in Friday night’s 3-0 Premier Sports Cup quarter-final win at Stenhousemuir. Williams scored the opener against the part-time Championship leaders, and assisted Yan Dhanda’s eventual winner, with Rogers Mato’s effort sandwiched between those moments.
There were other opportunities for the forward to add to his tally but it was a good night’s work regardless His dad, Jerome Williams Snr, will not be totally happy with his son’s first strike though. He’ll want to know why the match ball isn’t being taken home with him and those high standards have helped drive the 28-year-old throughout his career. There are aims in mind on the goalscoring front and they could be sent tumbling.
JJ Williams on first goal for Hearts
“It was amazing, said Williams. “I had two other chances so I should probably have scored a hat-trick. That’s what I’ll be thinking more about, not that I scored. It’s my job so it’ll drive me crazy. I know when I call my parents, the first thing my dad will say is ‘great game…but you missed two’.
“That’s just the reality of it. I’m super-blessed to get my first one, but I will be thinking about how I could have had a hat-trick. That’s the mentality my family have instilled in me. I’m the youngest of six and it’s very competitive in my household. My siblings played sport as well, they’re a lot older than me. We are from a big military family.
“I raise my boys in the same way, if you’re doing something then you have to do it to the best of your ability. There were a couple of other opportunities but I am blessed to get the first one because I know it’s only up from here. Do I have targets? Well, I could have had three on Friday. Targets are there to be smashed and broken, so as long as I keep hitting the net we’ll see what it tallies up to at the end of the year.”
Chants of ‘USA, USA’ went up as Williams netted from close range in front of a packed away crowd at Ochilview. It sets Hearts on their way to a semi-final over Halloween weekend and the atmospheric nature of the Jambos support is on another level to what he’s experienced in the US.
“It’s amazing,” explained Williams. “The atmosphere on Friday was incredible, I’ve never been anywhere close to the intensity it is here. I have been a lot of great places where they have loved me and it’s been a home for me. But there’s been nothing to this level.
Why JJ Williams is loving life at Hearts
“The supporters were amazing, you know what it’s like when you’re at a club that has so much passion - there will be good days and bad days. But as long as you can give them one hundred percent they’ll be behind you and that’s what I’ll do. The supporters energise you, you see the passion and they have been amazing to me. Trying to settle in here, they have given me so much support so as long as I keep putting it in the back of the net for them, that’s all I want to do.”
Most of Williams’ football has been played in the lower leagues of America with brief stints at MLS duo Columbus Crew and Atlanta United. This is his first spell outside his native country, and turning 29 in January, the forward never wavered in his belief that he’d get to thrive at a club like Hearts.
“I don’t think I doubted I’d get a chance like this,” added the striker who’ll hope to impress in Hearts’ next match in the Premiership away to Falkirk on Tuesday. “I have been surrounded by a lot of good people who encouraged me and pushed me. They told me to stay humble because I was playing at a level I knew I could go beyond.
“I had to trust that I would get the opportunity and it would come. My career has been a lot of ups and downs but I continued to believe. Now I’m here, I’m going to take it - I’m absolutely going to take everything I’ve got. It’s a dream, I feel like I have been working for a long time to get this opportunity.
“If I’d got this chance when I was younger I don’t know if I’d appreciated it or seized it like I’m going to try to now. Everything comes in good timing, the Lord’s got us always. So the biggest part just now is to work as hard as I can, stay healthy, stay on the field and try to execute it.
“The standard is great, the quality of the players speaks for itself and that’s what I’m so excited about. I want to see what level I can reach, what level I can push myself to. The biggest part of this is I’m trying to develop, I want to be the best version of myself and I don’t think I’m even close to that yet.”