Euro 2024: Spain – Georgia – Nico Williams' remarkable journey to the top

Despite the newfound security, life was not easy for the Williams family. They moved 150 kilometers southeast, to Pamplona.

Nicholas Williams Arthuer was born there on 12 July 2002, but unable to find enough work to support his family, Felix moved to London, doing whatever he could to send money home.

He cleared tables at a food hall in a Chelsea shopping centre and worked as a security guard, even at the turnstiles at Chelsea FC.

He was away for 10 years – he's back in Bilbao now – during which time Inaki became like a father to Nico, while their mother worked up to three jobs at a time to try to support her family.

When they go to their mother's for lunch, she reminds them to clear the table, do the dishes and scolds them if they overstep the mark. Their parents' education is constant.

Inaki, who decided to play for Ghana in tribute, will watch over Nico until the end.

From picking him up from school and giving him a “bocadillo” (sandwich) after class, to later teaching him the behavior he needed to adopt if he wanted to become an elite athlete.

“For me he’s a reference, he’s everything to me,” Nico said. “He helped my parents and me to eat, to go to class, to dress me.

“He corrects me, he advises me, he always has in fact, but we get along very well. He's my brother, but he also acts a bit like a father.”

On 28 April 2021, the brothers were brought on as second-half substitutes in Athletic's 2–2 home draw against Real Valladolid, becoming the first siblings to play together for the club since 1986 .

After the final, they immediately went to visit their mother, who was unable to attend the match because fans were banned from the stadium due to the Covid pandemic.