The rise of the Wales Women’s National Team has been a remarkable journey, with steady progress propelling them onto the international stage.
We spoke about their growth, which has not only elevated the profile of women’s football in Wales but also inspired future generations of players to follow in their footsteps.
We spoke about their growth, which has not only elevated the profile of women’s football in Wales but also inspired future generations of players to follow in their footsteps.
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00:00Now, the rise of the Wales women's national team has been a remarkable journey with steady
00:07progress propelling them onto the international stage. In recent years, they've achieved significant
00:13milestones from improving their World Cup qualifications to consistently competing at
00:18the highest levels of European football. Under the leadership of their dedicated coaching
00:24staff, the team has developed a strong core of talent, bringing experienced players with
00:29rising stars. We spoke about their growth, which has not only elevated the profile of
00:34women's football in Wales, but also inspired future generations of players to follow in
00:39their footsteps.
00:40Looking at the Wales women's national football team, well, they actually got a really good
00:49draw in their most recent outing against Sweden, one of the world's best teams in women's football,
00:54and what it finished there. And obviously, we could talk for ages about the Lionesses
01:00in English football and what they have done for the English women's game. If you look
01:03at the Wales game, yes, it's perhaps not quite as advanced or quite the same stage as England
01:09is, but certainly getting a draw against a team of that calibre stands them in good stead
01:13for the future and to what they can become, because of course, they've seen the men go
01:18from international minnows to a side who are regularly competing to qualify for major
01:24tournaments. And yes, the men's game is different, but it shows it can be done for a nation with
01:29only a small population like Wales do. So looking at that result, obviously in isolation,
01:36it's great, but what does it mean just in general for Welsh women's football?
01:40Yeah, as you say, it's massive. And I think, you know, you compare it to the Lionesses
01:45and their sort of journey to the very, very top of women's football, you know, really
01:51competing at the top. I mean, Wales with the smaller talent pool that it has, they're probably
01:56ahead of the Lionesses if you think about it in that sort of sense. You know, the Lionesses
02:00have so many top WSL teams to choose from. These players they've produced from the likes
02:06of, you know, Arsenal, Man United, these are the real top women's sides. Chelsea as well,
02:12so many league titles. In terms of Wales football, it's huge. It's something that the Welsh FA have
02:19sort of rejigged over the last few years to really get the best out of them. You know,
02:23firstly grassroots and secondly, the women's game. And I think these are two things that
02:28they're really working on getting to the very, very top. You know, Rhian Wilkinson has done a
02:33great job. I mean, the qualifying stage to get to their first ever European Championships was
02:38incredible. So much drama, so much quality. And, you know, they've got to look forward to it. They
02:44are in a real tough group, it has to be said. You know, England, Netherlands, France, top sides in
02:51the group stages. So we'll see how they come out. But, you know, they are no longer seen as
02:57underdogs. They are a team real capable of making an impact at the very top. And I think, you know,
03:03the confidence is there and, you know, you have to give credit to Wilkinson. Will they be found out?
03:08That's obviously yet to be seen, whether they get to the major stage and they crumble a bit
03:12like the men's side may have done, you know, in the past couple of years, the past couple of
03:17tournaments, you know, sort of underwhelmed a little bit, you'd say, from the men's perspective.
03:22The women want to prove that wrong. They want to go, you know, one more. And as you say,
03:26Sweden, you know, World Cup semifinals in 2023. So they are one of the best sides
03:34in the world. As I say, the confidence, the belief behind her group of girls is unbelievable.
03:39They, you know, she believes they can compete constantly against the world's best teams. So,
03:43yes, it's all to be seen in the summer, you know, at the Euros. But the attitude reflects a real
03:49shift in the mindset of Wales and the Welsh team as well. And you look as far as Craig
03:54Bellamy for the men's team and the sort of confidence he has and the aspects and aspirations
04:00he has for his Wales men's team. So I think as a whole, as a bigger picture, the Welsh FA is
04:08really improving the confidence, the belief, the ambitions is going up a notch. And it's really
04:15exciting if you're following football in terms of Wales and these players coming into these
04:21major tournaments. So, as I say, all to be seen in the summer. Here's what Rhiann Wilkinson had
04:27to say about her side. And, you know, as I say, she expresses so much confidence and it's great
04:33to see. So we'll see what she has to say. And, you know, obviously coming into the Euros in the
04:39summer, it's a real promising time to be following Wales.