JJ Williams

JJ Williams of Heart of Midlothian was born in Clovis, USA on 4 January 1998 (age 28).

JJ Williams, born on 4 January 1998 (age 28), is an American striker with Hearts, where he wears the number 9 shirt. At a commanding 6ft 4in (1.93m), he gives them an obvious focal point in attack, even if the record so far is still taking shape.

His most productive league season came with Tampa Bay Rowdies in 2023, when he scored 12 goals in 32 appearances. That remains the clearest marker of his senior career to date: a big centre-forward finding a decent rhythm over a full campaign rather than trading on potential alone.

In 2026-27, Williams has made seven league appearances for Hearts, along with one League Cup appearance in which he scored, and two Conference League outings. Across all competitions for the club, he has 10 appearances and one goal.

His career so far has taken him from the American game to a Scottish Premiership role with Hearts. At 28, he is an established professional rather than a prospect, with his best scoring season still coming in Tampa.

📈 Key stats and insights

JJ Williams has made seven Premiership appearances this season, all as substitutes

JJ Williams scored one goal in one League Cup appearance

JJ Williams has two Conference League appearances this season

JJ Williams averages a 6.48 rating this season – range 6.38–6.63

Last updated 31 October 2026. Send feedback

JJ Williams stats

Check out all of the statistics about JJ Williams.

Striker
Primary Position: Forward
Position

JJ Williams

ST

1.93m (6ft 3in)
Height: 9
Squad Number: 90kg (14st 2lb)
Weight: 4 January 1998 (age 28)
Date of Birth: Clovis
Birthplace: USA 🇺🇸
Country of Birth: Hearts
Team

📊 Season stats

Team: Hearts
Premiership 2026 - 2027
Games: 7
Starting: -
Substitute: 7
Unused: 4
Utilisation: 64%
Goals: -
Yellows: -
Reds: -

Team: Hearts
League Cup 2026 - 2027
Games: 1
Starting: 1
Substitute: -
Unused: 2
Utilisation: 33%
Goals: 1
Yellows: -
Reds: -

Team: Hearts
Conference League 2026 - 2027
Games: 2
Starting: -
Substitute: 2
Unused: -
Utilisation: 100%
Goals: -
Yellows: -
Reds: -

In the 2026–27 Premiership JJ Williams has made seven appearances, all as substitutes, and scored once in the League Cup while adding two Conference League appearances – a profile that marks him as an impact option off the bench rather than a regular starter.

🔥 Recent form

Last 8 appearances for JJ Williams.

Season average rating: 6.51

Match: Hearts 2-2 Rangers
28 Oct 2026 (H)
Mins: 12
Goals: -
Rating: 6.6

Match: Motherwell 0-2 Hearts
25 Oct 2026 (A)
Mins: 2
Goals: -
Rating: 6.6

Match: Celtic 7-1 Hearts
18 Oct 2026 (A)
Mins: -
Goals: -
Rating: -

Match: Hearts 5-0 St. Mirren
10 Oct 2026 (H)
Mins: 17
Goals: -
Rating: 6.5

Match: Kilmarnock 1-1 Hearts
19 Sep 2026 (A)
Mins: 31
Goals: -
Rating: 6.4

Match: Falkirk 2-1 Hearts
15 Sep 2026 (A)
Mins: 44
Goals: -
Rating: 6.4

Match: Stenhousemuir 0-3 Hearts
11 Sep 2026 (A)
Mins: 78
Goals: 1
Rating: -

Match: Hearts 2-1 Dundee
6 Sep 2026 (H)
Mins: 24
Goals: -
Rating: 6.6

Williams averages a 6.48 rating this season, with a high of 6.63 and a low of 6.38 – a narrow band that indicates consistent, if unspectacular, contributions when called upon.

📋 Career stats

Team: Hearts
Season 2026 - 2027
Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Games: 7
Goals: -

Team: Rhode Island
Season 2026
Country: USA 🇺🇸
Games: 17
Goals: 8

Team: Rhode Island
Season 2025
Country: USA 🇺🇸
Games: 21
Goals: 7

Team: Rhode Island
Season 2024
Country: USA 🇺🇸
Games: 30
Goals: 11

Team: Tampa Bay Rowdies
Season 2023
Country: USA 🇺🇸
Games: 32
Goals: 12

Team: Phoenix Rising
Season 2022
Country: USA 🇺🇸
Games: 13
Goals: 3

Team: FC Tulsa
Season 2022
Country: USA 🇺🇸
Games: 22
Goals: 9

Team: Birmingham Legion
Season 2021
Country: USA 🇺🇸
Games: 28
Goals: 5

Team: Birmingham Legion
Season 2020
Country: USA 🇺🇸
Games: 5
Goals: -

Team: Atlanta United
Season 2020
Country: USA 🇺🇸
Games: 1
Goals: -

Team: Birmingham Legion
Season 2019
Country: USA 🇺🇸
Games: 23
Goals: 8

Team: Columbus Crew
Season 2019
Country: USA 🇺🇸
Games: 7
Goals: -

Williams's career runs through six professional clubs before his move to Hearts, with productive spells that include double-digit goal seasons in 2023 (12) and 2024 (11) and follow-up tallies of seven in 2025 and eight in 2026 – a trajectory that moved him steadily from US lower-division teams into a Premiership opportunity.

💰 Transfers

Team: Hearts
25 August 2026
From: Rhode Island
Type: Fee (£100k)

Team: Rhode Island
1 January 2024
From: Tampa Bay Rowdies
Type: Undisclosed

Team: Tampa Bay Rowdies
11 January 2023
From: Phoenix Rising
Type: Free Transfer

Team: Phoenix Rising
27 July 2022
From: FC Tulsa
Type: Free Transfer

Team: FC Tulsa
27 January 2022
From: Birmingham Legion
Type: Free Transfer

Team: Birmingham Legion
10 September 2020
From: Atlanta United
Type: Free Transfer

Team: Atlanta United
5 March 2020
From: Columbus Crew
Type: Free Transfer

Team: Birmingham Legion
9 May 2019
From: Columbus Crew
Type: Loan

Team: Columbus Crew
11 January 2019
Type: Draft

Most of Williams's moves between US clubs were free transfers from Birmingham Legion to FC Tulsa, then to Phoenix Rising and Tampa Bay Rowdies before a transfer to Rhode Island in January 2024; he joined Hearts for a fee of 100000 in August 2026, a clear step into top‑flight European football.

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