Josh Sheehan has admitted he will have to put aside his surprise on Thursday evening when he pulls on the captain’s armband for Wales. The Bolton Wanderers midfielder will lead a young and experimental Welsh side in a friendly against Gibraltar in Portugal.

Rob Page has defended his assertion that Wales are in transition after failing to reach Euro 2024. Wales end their season this week by playing Gibraltar and Slovakia, having missed out on a glamour friendly with two-time world champions France.

Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan insists manager Erol Bulut has made “clear progress” during his year in charge – even though it took a month to agree a new contract for the Bluebirds boss. Bulut has signed a new two-year deal to extend his stay as Cardiff manager.

The latest Wales captain Hayley Ladd has admitted the team is suffering teething problems under new head coach Rhian Wilkinson. Back-to-back draws against Ukraine have secured Wales a place in the Euro 2025 play-offs.

Hayley Ladd will become Wales’ fourth captain in as many games under new boss Rhian Wilkinson against Ukraine on Tuesday. Wilkinson has yet to settle on a permanent skipper since long-time captain Sophie Ingle stepped down after her first game in charge, April’s 4-0 Euro 2025 qualifying victory over Croatia. Jess Fishlock and Angharad James subsequently led the side in qualifiers against Kosovo and Ukraine.

Ethan Ampadu seems set to end his marathon season with the Wales captaincy. Wales are without regular skipper Aaron Ramsey for this week’s friendlies against Gibraltar and Slovakia as the veteran midfielder has stayed at home following an injury-plagued campaign at Cardiff.

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.