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Haaland had to wait until the age of 25 not only to make his World Cup debut, but also his international tournament bow.
And the Leeds-born striker is clearly making up for lost time.
“He’s the opposite of Mbappe and Messi,” Williams said. “He’ll beat you without the ball, which makes it more dangerous.
“You want to help your midfield by pressing down, so they don’t have to cover too much distance.
“But as soon as you leave the back space, he’s going to exploit it straight away.”
One of the keys to limiting Haaland’s impact, Williams said, is preventing his teammates from getting the ball to him.
“You have to stop the ball first and foremost,” Williams said. “Stop the supply going into him.
“If you can play your distance in midfield and limit his chances, then you have half a chance.
“It’s not often that he actually drops, gets the ball, beats four players and scores his own goal, so he eats what he’s serving.”
Haaland is the most clinical of the four, with 57 goals in just 51 caps.
“He’s more deadly,” Williams added. “If he gets a chance, it’s probably going to be a goal.”
What about dealing with Haaland one on one?
“Around the box, you have to be tough and try to get him on his right foot,” Williams said.
“Then you have to be as strong as possible, not be clever, put the ball away and buy time.”
