by Rob Mellor (22/05/2024)
Above: Rhian Wilkinson at the squad announcement at the FAW, Hensol. Image: Rob Mellor for Impetus
Unbeaten in four games, having scored 12 goals and conceded none, it was no surprise to anyone that Cymru head coach Rhian Wilkinson announced a very familiar squad for the forthcoming games against Ukraine in WEURO 2025.
Eight of Wilkinson’s squad may be the wrong side of 30, but Wilkinson has one eye on the future in the selection of this squad.
“We kept a lot of the principles that we’ve had since I’ve come in, which is opportunities to get new young players into the environment, to give them exposure to the senior team, not just the players, but the training sessions and also games. So, always trying to find a really good mix of our experienced players with some youth and uncapped to make sure that we’re keeping the squad depth growing as we move through this campaign.” The Cymru boss said.
Wilkinson has the luxury of an (almost) fully-fit group to pick from; both Carrie Jones and Safia Middleton-Patel are now fit and available, having missed the first couple of Wilkinson’s games in charge through injury. Only Crystal Palace’s Elise Hughes is unavailable after suffering an ACL injury late in the season.
Wilkinson commented on Hughes’ injury:
“This is football. Injuries happen. They’re obviously awful and upsetting. And in the women’s game, ACLs are quite a reality at the moment. Very, very sad for Elise, but also excited that we’ll hopefully have her back once we qualify for the Euros, but it gives, again, opportunity.
“We have to see it like that. She played very well for us. So did Kayleigh Green [Barton] coming in. We’ve got Mary McAteer, who’s been training here. We’ve got Olivia Francis coming in in that position. So, you’ve got to see these unfortunate setbacks as opportunities, and that’s how we’ll be looking at it.”
The Seattle Reign power-trio of Angharad James, Jess Fishlock and Lily Woodham all feature, as do Woodham’s ex-Reading connections Gemma Evans, Charlie Estcourt and the scarily on-form Rachel Rowe, recently voted SFA’s SWPL1 Player of the Year. Bristol City’s nucleus of Olivia Clark, Ella Powell, Carrie Jones and Ffion Morgan also get the nod.
Bristol City also supply one of the four new faces in 18 year-old forward Tianna Teisar, most recently seen playing on loan at Cardiff City Ladies. Also uncapped are goalkeeper Poppy Soper and forwards Ellen Jones and Olivia Francis (Sunderland and Manchester United respectively).
Wilkinson knows that not all WEURO 2025 qualifiers will be as straightforward as the victory over Kosovo, and that Ukraine are on paper the toughest opponents in the group.
“I thought Ukraine had a more dominant display [despite losing to Croatia],” she said, “but that’s football: results go different ways.
“Ukraine will be a great test, a new team for us to prepare for. And that’s what I’m looking forward to… I think we’ve set a standard, but there’s a lot we need to improve on. We know that these games are important for me to bed in my philosophies and ideas. And this is a new opportunity for us to raise the bar, to tighten up the areas I though we were loose on.
“I don’t mean that as a huge criticism: I gave them a lot of leeway to explore what I was asking them to do, and now there’s tightening up to be done to prepare for stronger opposition, and Ukraine is that next team in front of us.”
The squad in full:
Olivia CLARK (Bristol City), Laura O’SULLIVAN (Cardiff City Ladies), Safia MIDDLETON-PATEL (Watford – On loan from Manchester United), Poppy SOPER (Ipswich Town – On loan from Charlton Athletic), Rhiannon ROBERTS (Real Betis), Charlie ESTCOURT (Reading), Josie GREEN (Leicester City), Hayley LADD (Manchester United), Gemma EVANS (Manchester United), Mayzee DAVIES (Manchester United), Lily WOODHAM (Seattle Reign), Ella POWELL (Bristol City), Sophie INGLE (Chelsea), Alice GRIFFITHS (Southampton), Angharad JAMES (Seattle Reign), Lois JOEL (London City Lionesses), Rachel ROWE (Rangers), Carrie JONES (Bristol City), Ffion MORGAN (Bristol City), Jess FISHLOCK (Seattle Reign), Ceri HOLLAND (Liverpool), Ellen JONES (Sunderland), Kayleigh BARTON (Charlton Athletic), Mary MCATEER (Sunderland), Olivia FRANCIS (Manchester United), Tianna
TEISAR (Cardiff City Ladies – On loan from Bristol City).
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