Paul Darren Williams (born 26 March 1971) is an English professional football coach and former player who was until August 2022 academy director at Birmingham City.
He has also managed Fredericksburg Gunners and has worked on the coaching staff of Swansea City, Brentford, Aldershot Town and Sheffield Wednesday.
[4] By 1991, Derby had been relegated to the Second Division and Williams stepped up to score league 13 goals during the 1991–92 season,[4] including a memorable hattrick in a 3–1 victory over Watford on 29 February 1992.
[3] By 1993, Williams had been converted into a central defender and he helped the team to 1994 First Division playoff Final,[3] but Derby were denied a place in the Premier League by Leicester City and he found himself partly at fault for one of the Foxes' goals.
[6] Williams joined Fourth Division club Lincoln City on loan on 9 November 1989 and made the first professional appearances of his career in a six-match spell at Sincil Bank.
[8][9] Williams made 199 appearances and scored six goals for Coventry City,[6] including the winner in a 2–1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on the final day of the 1996–97 season,[10] which preserved the Sky Blues' Premier League status.
[11] Williams reunited with his former Coventry City manager Gordon Strachan at Premier League club Southampton on 26 October 2001, signing on a short-term loan with a view to a permanent move.
[23] In April 2005, Williams joined United Soccer League Division One club Richmond Kickers,[22] where he made five appearances in a short spell.
[27] Williams was announced as head coach of USL Premier Development League expansion club Fredericksburg Gunners in December 2006.
[30] On 14 October 2009, Williams was installed as assistant to caretaker manager and former Southampton teammate Jason Dodd at League Two club Aldershot Town.
[34] Dodd and Williams presided over a productive era for the Saints academy,[34] with future England 2014 World Cup squad member Luke Shaw and Premier League starters Calum Chambers, James Ward-Prowse, Harrison Reed, and Sam Gallagher graduating.
[37] Williams linked up with Jason Dodd as part of the backroom team at Conference South club Gosport Borough in January 2015.
In July 2015, Williams joined Championship club Brentford as logistics manager and became assistant to new head coach and former Derby County and Coventry City teammate Lee Carsley on 28 September.