ALEX WALMSLEY has reassured England team-mate George Williams he can get back to full health after the halfback admitted he is “racing against the clock” to play again this year because of a serious neck issue.

Warrington Wolves fear captain Williams may have played his final game for the club after determining he will require surgery on an injury suffered in their defeat at Catalans Dragons just over a week ago.

The exact severity has not been revealed but Wire coach Sam Burgess compared the upcoming operation to the one Walmsley had in 2018, when the prop suffered a double neck fracture and was sidelined for eleven months.

St Helens star Walmsley told League Express: “George actually reached out to me earlier in the week. 

“My thoughts go out to him. No matter what shirt you’ve got on and who you play for, you never like to see players being injured, especially a neck injury.

“I don’t know the fundamentals and mine was a little bit different to George’s because I had some fractures in there, but I reassured him that I had quite a significant injury to my neck, came back and was able to keep playing the sport that I love. 

“I wish George all the very best – he’s our captain for England and hopefully we can get him back on the field this year, for Warrington and for the World Cup.”

The loss of Williams, who will join the NRL’s Dolphins next season, would be a huge blow both to Warrington and England, shortly after new national team coach Brian McDermott backed him to remain captain for this autumn’s World Cup in Australia.

Williams told Sky Sports: “It’s obviously disappointing. I’ll have the surgery and look forward hopefully to the back end of the year.

“I’m praying with everything that I’ve got. It wouldn’t be a nice way to go out. That’s why the news that I’d need surgery was tough to take.

“I’ll be racing against the clock to get back and hopefully I can play here again.”