Liverpool recall Williams from Swansea loan

Liverpool defender Rhys Williams has been recalled from his loan at second-tier Swansea City, the Premier League club said on Thursday.

Williams has struggled since joining Swansea on deadline day of the transfer season in August, making just seven appearances for the Championship side across all competitions. His last league appearance came against Middlesbrough on Dec. 4.

"Gutted it didn't go to plan but it's been a pleasure to be a swan for the time I was given," Williams said on social media.

The 20-year-old played 19 times for Liverpool in the previous season, after their defensive resources were depleted by injuries to Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip, with stand-ins Fabinho and Jordan Henderson also sidelined.

(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru, editing by Pritha Sarkar)