Swansea City’s new manager Paul Williams is convinced he can help keep the club in the Premier League.
The club confirmed the appointment of the 45-year-old on Wednesday and the England U20s coach will join the Swans ahead of Saturday’s trip to Everton after leaving his position with the Football Association.
“It’s an honour to come and be part of the set-up at Swansea City and I cannot wait to get going,” he said.
“It’s a fantastic club with a great fan-base. I am delighted to be here and I’m excited about what we can achieve.
“I am really looking forward to getting started and one thing I can guarantee is that I will give my all to help the club succeed.
“I have had to work hard to get where I am in coaching and that is not about to change.”
Williams is joining the club when they are currently six points adrift of safety but the one-time England U21 international is adamant the Swans can pull clear of relegation danger.
“Without a shadow of a doubt we can do well this season,” he said.
“It has not been an ideal start, but it is in situations like this where you find out about players and about the club.
“It’s our job now to dig deep and make sure we can an impact in the Premier League.
“The good thing is that there is still a long way to go in the season. We still have a lot of games in front of us so we have the opportunity to turn things around.”
Williams has signed a two-and-a-half year contract with the Swans, working as number two to manager Bob Bradley, who was appointed last month.
“I am excited about having the chance to work with Paul,” Bradley told the club’s official website.
“There have been discussions from the start about adding one more member of staff so that we would have one more coach on the pitch every day.
“The first month here was very busy, but this international break has given us the opportunity to finalise discussions, and we are pleased that Paul can join us.
“He gained a lot of Premier League experience in his playing days, while he has also done a lot of good work as a coach.
“For instance, he helped bring through some very good players during his time at Southampton, while everything I have heard about the work he did with England has been positive.
“He has done a lot of on-field coaching, and that’s what we are looking for. I am excited to have another guy on the field alongside me and Alan Curtis.”
Williams played for Derby, Coventry, Southampton and Stoke, before embarking on a coaching career.
He has worked in the United States, with Southampton’s academy and latterly the Football Association, where he assisted Aidy Boothroyd with England Under-20s.
Williams was caretaker manager at Nottingham Forest for part of last season then took charge of England Under-20s after Gareth Southgate moved up to the senior team, while Boothroyd replaced Southgate with the Under-21s.
During his time with England Under-20s, the team claimed four victories, beating Germany, the United States, Nigeria and Japan.