Steve Williams, the president of the Football Association of Wales (FAW), has resigned with immediate effect. Williams had been suspended in July while an investigation was underway, but he has now chosen to step down before an independent hearing could be conducted.

Wales could be back trying to pick their way through the minefield of Olympic football participation again during the lead in to 2028. British Olympic Association bosses hope to field a men’s football team at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.

Wales midfielder Jordan James has finalised his transfer from Birmingham City to French club Rennes for a fee understood to be around £4m. Rennes, under the guidance of manager Julien Stephan, finished 10th in Ligue 1 last season and have captured the 20-year-old on a four-year deal..

Cardiff City boss Erol Bulut says he is not surprised Luton Town are interested in ex-Arsenal defender Mark McGuinness. The Bluebirds want around £10m for the central defender – who still has three years left to run on his contract.

Welsh coaching guru Osian Roberts is spending his summer watching the seeds he has planted across Europe come into full bloom. It might have been a very different few months for Roberts had he not decided to withdraw himself early on from the race to succeed Rob Page as Wales manager.

New Swansea City goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux has revealed the chance to reunite with head coach Luke Williams played a major part in his move from Burnley. Vigouroux has joined the Swans for an undisclosed fee on a two-year deal and will work under Williams for a second time after the pair were together at Swindon Town.

New Saints manager Craig Harrison admitted his team were powerless to prevent a heavy 5-0 defeat in the first leg of their Champions League second qualifying round in Hungary. The Cymru Premier champions were overwhelmed by Ferencvaros and TNS already look destined to drop down to the Europa League after the home leg.

He may not have quite matched Billy McCandless’ 1948 record of winning his first three games in charge, but Graham Potter did okay as manager of Swansea City. There was no promotion from the Championship to the Premier League – the Swans finished 10th in his one season in charge in 2018-2019 – but there was enough to admire to realise why England may now be keen to make him their successor to the departed Gareth Southgate.

Craig Bellamy swears he’s a reformed character these days, but the new Wales boss has urged young coaches to mind their manners. The former Burnley assistant manager is so fluent in both the language of modern football and old-school passionate positivity that the FA of Wales wasted little time in making him their successor to Rob Page. But Bellamy’s road to international management has not been without the odd wrong turn – most notably a spell at Cardiff City in charge of their U18s.

Jess Fishlock – who else? – put Wales on the threshold of qualification for the Euro 2025 finals as she became her country’s joint highest goalscorer. The striker matched Helen Ward’s all-time goalscoring record as Wales triumphed 3-0 over Croatia in Karlovac, propelling them to the top of their qualifying group.

We need to talk about England. You may have tried not to notice, but they have reached the final of a major football tournament, the first time they have got there on foreign soil. German soil. Deutscherboden. Now comes the question, perpetually asked of Welsh supporters whenever images of the flag of St. George – tattooed onto beer bellies jiggling on outdoor bar tables – fills our TV screens. How do you feel about that?

Craig Bellamy is determined to banish the perception of him as a firebrand as he steps into his first senior management role with Wales. Bellamy courted controversy on and off the pitch during a colourful playing career that saw him win 78 Wales caps between 1998 and 2013.