GAVIN Williams has been instrumental in Hereford United's excellent start to the season.

The 20-year-old from Cardiff was a consistent threat last season and has continued his fine form with some important goals to maintain United's position among the Nationwide Conference's early pacesetters.

His well-taken goal against Kingstonian took his season's tally to four and his good start has coincided with a switch to a central striking role. "I'm not really an out and out goalscorer but I'm on a bit of a run at the moment," he said. "I don't really set myself goal targets. If you don't get them you'll be disappointed."

His form over the past couple of seasons has attracted attention from higher graded clubs and he has an agent, Mel Stein, who also looks after the career of Paul Gas-coigne. Despite interest from other clubs, notably Luton Town, he is happy at Edgar Street and signed a new contract in the spring that ties him to the club until 2002.

"You hear things about that, but nothing really happened. I'm not really interested in any of that speculation, I find it quite distracting really, I just want to do well for Hereford."

He joined as a YTS player in 1995, although at the time he was on the books of his hometown club.

"I was with Cardiff but they messed me about as far as signing me, so I came here and had a trial. Straight after the game Dick Bate asked me to sign YTS forms."

Williams is the club's longest serving player and recently completed a century of Conference appearances. That five-year spell has seen the club lose its league status but there have been good times.

"Obviously the cup run stands out. Leicester was a great atmosphere and a great occasion. Of course the lowest part of anyone's career is getting relegated, even if you're YTS it still hurts."

But he's optimistic that Hereford's promising start can continued.