MARC WILLIAMS pulled no punches when he admitted he will be pleased to see the back of 2009.
Having finally been given his chance in the first team under Dean Saunders, Williams was in the best form of his career and went into 2009 with 13 goals to his name.
Another four goals arrived in January before disaster struck at the end of February when a metatarsal injury brought a premature end to the striker’s season.
Williams then suffered an injury set-back in pre-season but after making a full recovery, the 21-year-old could not reproduce the form of old and has so far failed to score a goal this term.
To make matters worse Williams picked up an ankle ligament injury during Wrexham’s last outing, the FA Trophy defeat at Altrincham on December 15, and he can’t wait to make a fresh start in 2010.
“I will be glad to see the back of this year,” said Williams. “I just want to see the calender turned over to 2010.
“I have had two contrasting years. I have gone from the best in my career (2008) to the worst (2009).
“I want to forget 2009. I have had three injuries and it has been a bad year.
“I just want to start afresh next year and go from there.
“I will go back to basics, keep working hard – something I have done all my career – and hopefully I will be back in the kind of form I was in before.
“It is a new start for me in 2010 and hopefully a good year for me.
“I will give it my best shot, give it my all. I want to get in the side, stay in and score some goals.”
Williams’ exploits prior to the first injury sustained in February did not go un-noticed, however, as he was named both Player of the Season and Young Player of the Season.
And it is an achievement that Williams is proud of: “That was probably the greatest thing in my career,” he said.
“Getting both awards was fantastic, something I don’t think anyone has done before.
“There have been pluses this year.
“And no-one is more keen than me to get back to the level I got to.”
Williams has also featured this term for Wales under 21 and despite not scoring for Wrexham, the frontman does not think his overall displays for the club have been too bad.
However, because he is a striker, he knows he will always be judged on the amount of goals he scores.
“I have been involved with Wales under 21s and had my moments in some good games for them,” said Williams.
“In games for Wrexham, I thought I was more like myself in terms of the performances – it was just the goal thing.
“I have been playing well, just not scoring and that is the main thing.
“As a striker, people look at your strike ratio.”
Despite picking up a fresh injury just over a fortnight ago, Williams has not missed any Wrexham matches.
Since that FA Trophy defeat, Wrexham have had three consecutive games postponed because of frozen pitches, and there are fears that tomorrow’s trip to Altrincham will not go ahead because of the latest wintry weather.
And while he acknowledges Wrexham – with up to four games in hand on some teams in the Blue Square Premier – don’t want to fall too far behind, Williams admitted there has been a silver lining on a personal note.
“That’s three games in a row called off and from a personal point of view, I don’t mind that,” he added. “Players don’t like to miss matches, I don’t want to miss any games and I haven’t so far.
“But from the team’s point of view, you want it to be on at Altrincham so we can start playing games again and getting points. We have had too many matches postponed.
“I just want to be back to full fitness and take it from there. It is just a case of the ligaments in the ankle heeling.
“I have done some light jogging, I will keep working hard and hopefully be back in two or three weeks.”