Ashley Williams suffers collapsed lung after footballer's freak injury lands him in Beverly Hills hospital

A freak injury has left Black Country-born football star Ashley Williams recovering in a Beverly Hills hospital.

Ashley Williams, pictured here in a Beverly Hills hospital, has undergone surgery after suffering a collapsed lung on the pitch

The £12m Premier League defender, who was born in Wolverhampton and started his career at Hednesford Town, was taken to hospital after being hurt while on international duty with Wales in America.

Williams posted a picture on social media showing him looking dazed in a hospital bed in Beverly Hills, California, and hooked up to a machine helping him to breathe.

The Everton defender was playing for Wales against Mexico in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Tuesday when he was injured as he went to challenge West Ham striker Javier Hernandez.

He was seen clutching his ribs in discomfort before being stretchered from the field. Tests revealed he had suffered a collapsed lung and multiple breaks to two ribs.

The 33-year-old, who is the Wales captain, made a rapid rise to the Premier League with Swansea City having started his career in non-league with Hednesford.

He posted an update on his condition on Facebook and said it had been a ‘crazy couple of weeks’.

He had only just returned to action following a spell on the sidelines, with the international friendly – which ended goalless – his first appearance since March.

Williams said he was now focusing on ‘resting up’ and getting fit in time for the new season in August.

He posted: “Look forward to flying home and resting up now before the new season. Crazy couple of weeks.

"Great to be back in a FA Wales shirt and with the lads. However, after coming off after 20 minutes with multiple breaks on two ribs, I went to hospital and found out I had punctured my left lung, which led to it collapsing.”

Wales were playing an end-of-season friendly in California as opponents Mexico were warming up for the World Cup.

Williams was taken to the Ronald Reagan UCLA hospital where he received treatment. He had last played for Everton against Burnley on March 3.

The defender was on the books of West Bromwich Albion but was released before joining Hednesford. He moved on to Stockport County before his big move to Swansea, with whom he was promoted to the Premier League. He moved to Everton in 2016.