Wales manager Rhian Wilkinson insists her team are still in control of their Euro 2025 qualification group despite a frustrating 1-1 draw at home to Ukraine in Llanelli. After back-to-back victories for Wilkinson in her first two matches in charge, this was a mis-step for the Canadian coach, although Wales’ position in the group is still a strong one.

Angharad James will captain Wales against Ukraine in Friday’s Euro 2025 qualifier, but may not get the job on a full-time basis. Wales have been without a permanent skipper since Sophie Ingle stepped down after Rhian Wilkinson’s first game in charge, a 4-0 victory over Croatia in their opening Euro 2025 qualifier last month.

Rob Page is confident Aaron Ramsey will play for Wales again after leaving his veteran captain out of the squad for two summer friendlies. Ramsey has been plagued by injury since returning to hometown club Cardiff last summer.

Wales’ Leicester City title winner Andy King believes Chelsea have been attracted to making Enzo Maresca their new head coach because of the Pep Guardiola factor. Chelsea are reportedly in advanced talks to appoint Leicester boss Maresca, the 44-year-old Italian who until last summer was Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City.

Around one in five male and female professional players who took part in a new survey are currently using snus, nicotine pouches or both. Snus is a tobacco product in a sachet, similar to a small tea bag, which is placed under the lip and releases nicotine into the bloodstream.

Welsh coaching guru Osian Roberts will spend this summer watching the seeds he has planted across Europe come into full bloom. The man who shaped the coaching careers of Cesc Fabregas, Mikel Arteta, Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry has proven he is no mere blackboard technician by guiding Italian club Como into Serie A.

Former Swansea City head coach Russell Martin expressed his gratitude and acknowledged he was not a “sexy appointment” after guiding Southampton to the Premier League with a precious 1-0 win over Leeds at Wembley. Adam Armstrong struck midway through the first half to haunt Leeds again with his 24th goal of the campaign and it proved enough to send Saints back to the top flight at the first time of asking.

Wales manager Rob Page rarely talks about club allegiances but there must be a fair chance he will be wearing white this weekend. Page often stresses the need for his players to be playing at the highest level, in the Premier League, in order for them to be accustomed to the quality required for international football.

Welsh football fans digesting the news of Mauricio Pochettino’s departure from Chelsea must be wondering: How did they do that? Not “why did they do that?” but how? How could they possibly have decided on their manager’s future over one expensive restaurant meal, a mere two days after the end of the season?

Wales boss Rob Page intends to “give everything” to qualify for the World Cup and repay the faith of those backing him. The Football Association of Wales quickly announced it would be sticking by Page as manager after the heartbreaking failure to reach Euro 2024.

Wales youth internationals Mackenzie Bradbury and Ollie Bostock acknowledge their side’s game against Austria on Thursday is crucial if Wales are to qualify from group B in the U17 European Championship. The two players – who play for Wolves and West Brom, respectively – know there is much they can improve on from their 2-0 defeat against Denmark in Wales’ opening match of the tournament in Cyprus.

Wales boss Rhian Wilkinson has welcomed the “science” to understand why so many female footballers suffer anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries after losing Elise Hughes for the rest of the UEFA Euro 2025 qualifying campaign. Hughes was top Crystal Palace scorer with 16 goals in 21 games as the Eagles secured promotion to the Women’s Super League by winning the Championship title.

Former Wales talisman Gareth Bale believes Jude Bellingham would be in a strong position to win the Ballon d’Or by inspiring England to Euro 2024 glory. No Englishman has won the honour as best player in the world since Michael Owen’s success in 2001, but Bellingham’s remarkable impact at Bale’s former club Real Madrid has put him top of the contenders alongside club colleague Vinicius Junior.

Rob Edwards admitted the doubters were right about Luton after they were relegated from the Premier League following a final-day 4-2 defeat to Fulham at Kenilworth Road. Adama Traore opened the scoring for the Cottagers with Raul Jimenez on target twice and Harry Wilson rounding things off midway through the second half. Carlton Morris (penalty) and Alfie Doughty scored to make it 1-1 and 2-3, but the visitors had too much.

Four Welsh players are heading to Wembley and there could be a fifth by around 10pm on Friday night. Leeds United’s quartet of Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon, Dan James and Connor Roberts are all into the Championship play-off final after their 4-0 demolition of Norwich City. “Towards the end of the season, there was a lot of talk about how we were playing; how we weren’t on the front foot, how we weren’t aggressive, how we weren’t clinical,” said Ampadu.

Sophie Ingle can help provide Emma Hayes with the perfect send off to her spell at Chelsea with a seventh Women’s Super League title this weekend. Wales captain Ingle’s team are back in control of the race heading into Hayes’ final game in charge.

Ethan Ampadu has insisted he has never lost faith that Leeds United would make it back to the Premier League this season. The Wales star played another key role in guiding Leeds to a powerful 4-0 victory over Norwich City on Thursday night at a pulsating Elland Road.

Osian Roberts has achieved hero status in Como after winning promotion to Serie A but has no qualms stepping back for Cesc Fabregas to resume his managerial career. The Welshman masterminded Como’s return to the top flight of Italian football after a 21-year absence last Friday, and the town famous for its lake, tourism and being the home of Hollywood actor George Clooney partied long in to the night. Roberts’ great friend Ian Rush, the former Liverpool and Wales striker, has already been in touch over plans to watch his old team play Como next season.

Former Wales international pair Rob Edwards and Craig Bellamy are dropping out of the Premier League, with Luton Town boss Edwards admitting it is getting harder for clubs from the Championship to compete. For just the second time in Premier League history all three promoted sides are heading back down to the Championship after a season that has exposed the growing gulf between English football’s top two tiers.

Two coaches – both former Wales internationals – will walk the Premier League relegation tightrope this weekend, desperate to avoid the drop. Craig Bellamy and Rob Edwards were once Wales teammates, but they are now both fighting for survival on the penultimate weekend of the season.