Shane Williams says that his fellow Wales wing Tom Prydie, who on Saturday will become the youngest player to appear in the Six Nations when he plays against Italy in Cardiff only 25 days after his 18th birthday, has not been picked too soon. Prydie has made two starts for the Ospreys.

Prydie was seven when Williams made his Test debut against France in 2000, and 15 years and 72 caps separate the pair. Prydie was 17 when he was chosen in Wales's Six Nations squad in January and he was not expected to play.

"Tom has all the talent to become a great player and I am delighted he is having his chance," said Williams, Wales's record try-scorer. "He has trained very well in the last couple of months and been very patient. I have no doubt he will have a great game. He has only just turned 18 and he is one of those players who seems to have everything.

"He does not seem to struggle with anything in training. He is very professional and he is so full of confidence it is scary: I wish I had been half as confident at his age. Nothing seems to faze him: if I had been told I was playing for Wales at the age of 18 I would have been doing cartwheels all day long, but he took it in his stride, very chilled and relaxed. I am sure he will be the same on the weekend."

Williams was nearly 23 when he made his debut and it took him four years to seal a place in the side. "Youngsters now are so far advanced on where I was at that age," he said. "The academy system is working well and players seem to be coming through younger because they get experience so quickly and come into the senior game with a totally professional attitude. I will probably be more nervous than Tom on Saturday.

"He is very quick, whether in sprints or over longer distances, and I have been impressed with his knowledge of the game. He is not afraid to express his opinions off the field, challenging older players, and he does not hide away in a corner. I would love to put him in the corner for a try on Saturday and I have no doubt that he has a very big future ahead of him."

Williams may be 33 but he is still Wales's most potent attacking weapon. "I do not feel my age," he said. "I was a late developer in school and maybe that has helped me a bit. I still have a spring in my step and I enjoy training. My time and strengths are up there and that helps psychologically. I know I am not Tom's age but I hope to feel 18 on Saturday and run about a bit."

Wales started the season aiming for the title but they need to beat Italy to ensure they do not finish with the wooden spoon. Prydie's selection has been seen in some quarters as an attempt by the Wales management to deflect attention from what has been a disappointing campaign. Williams, however, feels that success is not far away.

"It is important we finish on a high because Wales is a tough place to be when things are not going well," he said. "The training sessions have been hard this week, and rightly so. This is possibly the strongest squad I have been involved with and we have not delivered: a number of the guys will feel that we have not have played as well as they would have liked and we have not done enough collectively.

"Italy is a massive game for the coaches and the players. We know we can be world-beaters when we play with a smile  on our face and we have to do well on Saturday."