 However, he featured just six times at the start of the 1987–88 campaign when he was forced into retirement in September 1987 due to a recurring back injury.Williams was a member of the England Under-21 squad that won the 1984 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.Williams returned to Port Vale in July 1988 as the community programme officer but departed in January 1990 to take up a similar role at Manchester City.