Former Manchester United defender Brandon Williams has spoken publicly for the first time since his release from the club, admitting he has “learned from his mistakes” following a suspended jail sentence for dangerous driving. The 24-year-old, now at Hull City, was handed a 14-month prison term suspended for two years after crashing at 99mph while uninsured in August 2023.
Williams, who joined United at age seven and made 51 senior appearances, has not played since December 2023 during a loan spell with Ipswich Town. He was released by his boyhood club last year and has now signed a one-year deal with Hull. In an interview with BBC Radio Humberside, he said: “It was in the moment I was in, I wasn't in a good place. It's a big regret and I've learned from my mistakes. I was still a young boy and I'm grown up now.”
The defender admitted he took a break from football to address his issues, but insisted he remained focused on a return. “I was working in silence. Everyone was questioning what I was doing but I was working the whole time. I was keeping fit and making sure I was ready to step back into football,” he said. Williams also revealed he had “honest meetings” with Hull manager Sergej Jakirovic about his fitness and mental state after 20 months out.
Williams described the period away from the game as “very difficult – mentally and physically”, but added that it was “probably something I needed. Now, I'm back here a different person. I've grown up a lot and I'm ready to just focus on the football.” He expressed hunger to prove himself again, saying: “I'm hungry, I'm fiery. I know what quality I can bring to the team.”
Williams previously played 26 times in the Premier League for Norwich City during the 2021-22 season, but his loan at Ipswich in the Championship was less successful before his legal troubles began. Hull City have given him a chance to rebuild his career, and Williams is determined to make the most of it.
