The LA Galaxy signed Derrick Williams on March 4, 2021.
Williams, 28, has played professionally in England since 2011 and has represented Republic of Ireland youth and senior teams throughout his career. Williams, who joins the club on a two-year deal with an additional one-year option, holds an American passport and will not occupy an International Roster spot on the LA Galaxy roster. He will be added to the club’s roster pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) once the MLS transfer window opens this month.
The Galaxy originally acquired the Discovery rights to Williams in a trade with D.C. United for $125,000 General Allocation Money ($75,000 GAM in 2021 and $50,000 GAM in 2022). The trade is contingent on the player formally being added to the club’s roster during the MLS transfer window.
Williams began his career with Aston Villa in 2011 before moving on to feature for Bristol City (2013-2016) and Blackburn Rovers (2016-2021). He has made over 250 combined appearances in the England’s League One and the EFL Championship during his professional career, including additional appearances in the Premier League and the FA Cup, among others.
The Irish International debuted in the Premier League in 2012 with Aston Villa before signing with Bristol City in League One the following year. He featured regularly for Bristol City before helping them earn promotion to the Championship during the 2014-15 season. He then joined Blackburn Rovers in the Championship in 2016, making 152 total appearances for the club in all.
Internationally, Williams played for both the Ireland U-18 and Ireland U-21 sides in various competitions before going on to make his full senior debut with the Republic of Ireland in 2018 in a friendly against France under head coach Martin O'Neill. Williams also represented Ireland’s national team in 2019 when former LA Galaxy legend, MLS MVP and three-time MLS Cup winner Robbie Keane was on staff as an assistant coach.
