Wales battled bravely but lost 4-1 to Spain, with Everton loanee Williams at the back.
Everton defender Ashley Williams, currently on loan at Stoke City, failed to help Wales prevent Spain from finding the back of the net four times on Thursday night in a friendly – and some Everton fans believe he is past it.
Luis Enrique’s side earned a 4-1 win, with Paco Alcacer opening the scoring with a fine finish into the top corner. Spain captain Sergio Ramos then took advantage of some slack defending to head home, with Williams caught under the ball.
Joe Allen then inadvertently prodded the ball into Alcacer’s path, who stroked home a third before the half-hour mark. The scoreline remained that way for some time, before Marc Bartra headed home a Spain corner in the 73rd minute.
Sam Vokes scored a consolation goal after good work by David Brooks, but the loss was somewhat of a wake-up call to Ryan Giggs over where his side currently stand in terms of quality and in comparison to other countries.
Williams, 34, has been in and out of the Stoke side since joining the Staffordshire-based club on a season-long loan from Everton, but he has played the last three league games in which Stoke have picked up seven from a possible nine.
Toffees fans reacted to his display for Wales against the likes of Alcacer, Alvaro Morata and Iago Aspas, with many suggesting he has past his peak. One fan even claimed that he is “finished,” despite only playing the first half.
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