Dean WilliamsEssex Pirates are proud to announce that they will enter their first season in the BBL with former England International Dean Williams leading the way as captain.

Having already snapped up Spanish treasure Pablo Rodrigo and British prospect Kyle Dodd, the clubs head coach Tim Lewis is delighted to have added some experience to his roster.

'Dean is a veteran player who has many years of high level competitive experience in the BBL with the added bonus of him having played against top European opposition during 2007-08."

"That makes him a natural choice for us. Not only because of the veteran skills that he brings in terms of his experience but also because it will fit nicely into the style of play we plan to adopt.'

'Dean is definitely a leader and someone who our young players will learn a lot from."

"We are extremely pleased that he has chosen to join us as we needed someone who knows the league well to compliment the younger players we have.'

The 32 year old guard has already lined up for a host of British clubs including London Towers, Thames Valley Tigers, Plymouth Raiders and more recently Guildford Heat where he attained huge success collecting a host of medals.

Two seasons ago Williams played ten games in the prestigious ULEB Cup against Spanish basketball giants such as DKV Joventut and last year averaged 6.8 points and 2.8 rebounds per game during 32 games in the BBL with Guildford.

Further player announcements will be made by the club within the next week or two as Coach Lewis continues to build the team for clubs' rookie professional campaign.

Source: www.bbl.org.uk