After 251 consecutive LaLiga matches, Inaki Williams has finally missed a game
Athletic Bilbao’s Ghanaian forward Inaki Williams’ incredible record of playing in 251 consecutive LaLiga matches has finally come to an end.
Inaki’s remarkable LaLiga streak
Inaki had played every match in LaLiga for Bilbao since April 2016, but was sidelined for the first time in almost seven years against Celta Vigo due to a muscle injury that he is recovering from.
Because of his incredible consistency in the league, Inaki has become a cult hero among Bilbao and LaLiga fans, who will all be saddened to see his streak come to an end.
The only other person to have played in up to 200 consecutive LaLiga games is Juan Antonio Larranaga, who made 203 appearances in a row for Real Sociedad between 1986 and 1992.
It was Larranaga’s record that Inaki broke in 2021, before extending the benchmark by almost 50 more games.
Inaki on the way to becoming a Bilbao legend
It is worth noting that Inaki has not been a mainstay in BIlbao’s team only because he has managed to stay fit, but also because he has consistently been one of the best players at the club since coming through the Bilbao academy.
He has been the top LaLiga goal scorer at San Mames for two of the last six seasons, and is currently the top scorer in this, his seventh season since he started racking up consecutive appearances, despite spending a considerable number of games as a winger and not a centre-forward. .
He has also contributed to more goals (6) in LaLiga this season than any other Bilbao player apart from his brother Nico Williams (7).