Tom King was given a crash course in learning the Welsh national anthem after he received a mobile call from Ryan Giggs. Newport County goalkeeper King was called up alongside Wayne Hennessey and Adam Davies for Euro 2020 qualifiers against Azerbaijan in Baku on Saturday and Hungary at Cardiff City Stadium next Tuesday. The call-up […]

Ashley Williams has warned Wales fans to expect something ugly when Wales try and grind out the vital Euro 2020 qualifier victory they need in Azerbaijan on Saturday. The Wales captain knows full well that events in Baku are hardly likely to make easy watching with so much at stake and admits: “I hope I’m wrong, but you can almost guarantee that the Azerbaijan game is not going to be a pretty affair. “I remember going there many years ago when we won 1-0 with a Dave Edwards goal. It’s a tricky place to get to with a long flight and it wasn’t much fun.

Harry Wilson will take on the burden of Wales’ Euro qualification hopes with the confidence that comes from a Jurgen Klopp thumbs up. Wilson says the Liverpool manager has played a big part in his impressive Bournemouth form by boosting his belief with text messages. The Wales forward is on a season-long loan from Liverpool and scored his fourth goal for the Cherries at Newcastle last weekend.

Ben Davies believes any bust-ups in the Wales camp would be resolved with a handshake and blow over within a day. As Wales prepare for their vital two final Euro 2020 qualifiers, the England squad are still having their behaviour publically dissected with the fall-out from the altercation between Raheem Sterling and Joe Gomez.  “I think sometimes these things happen in football,” Davies said, referring to the Sterling-Gomez bust-up earlier this week.

Jayne Ludlow insists Wales have taken another step – rather than a stumble – towards making the UEFA Women’s Euro 2021 finals after their goalless draw in Northern Ireland. The stalemate in Belfast leaves Wales four points behind leaders Norway after being held to a draw for the second time in the group by the Northern Irish, who drew 2-2 in Newport earlier in the campaign. Manager Ludlow’s side welcome Norway on April 14, four days after facing the Faroe Islands, and then have to travel to the highly-rated Norwegians for their last game after hosting Belarus.

Ryan Giggs is willing to gamble on the fitness of both Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey in order to clinch Wales’ Euro 2020 qualification. The Wales manager has named both of his two world class talents in the squad for the decisive remaining qualifiers away to Azerbaijan on November 16 and at home to Hungary three days later – even though he admits there are doubts about the readiness of both. Giggs has admitted that Ramsey in not “100 per cent match fit” and that Bale is “a worry” – although he insists both players could still feature in Wales’ biggest games for three years.

Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale have both been included in the Wales squad for the country’s final tilt at Euro 2020 qualification – despite persistent doubts over the pair’s fitness. Juventus midfielder Ramsey has been named by manager Ryan Giggs in the group for matches against Azerbaijan and Hungary after recovering from a thigh problem. Ramsey, who is yet to feature in Wales’ qualifying campaign because of injury, has made two substitute appearances for Juventus in the past week.

Swansea City and Wales defender Joe Rodon has been ruled out for “a few months” according to his manager Sreve Cooper – putting an end to his Euro qualifying campaign with Wales. The centre back missed today’s 1-0 derby victory over Cardiff City at the Liberty Stadium after suffering two recent ankle injuries. The second of those – picked up in the home defeat to Brentford – means Rodon requires an operation and means he will be out for a number of weeks. 

Wales back row forward Aaron Wainwright has been one of the success stories of the World Cup. But had Newport County got their man five years ago, then, as Graham Thomas reports, it would been a whole new ball game. If Aaron Wainwright had taken a different path at 17, then he could have been playing Premier League football this weekend instead of trying to help Wales into the final of the Rugby World Cup. The Wales flanker has been one of the breakout global stars of the tournament in Japan, his status already assured before his man-of-the-match performance in the victory over France in last week’s quarter-final.

Wales will be without injured striker Natasha Harding for their vital Women’s Euro 2021 qualifier away to Northern Ireland – but do have captain Sophie Ingle back fit. Reading striker Harding was left out of the squad after being injured on club duty. However, centre-back Ingle has recovered from a hip injury that forced her to miss last month’s 1-0 victory in Belarus.

Jayne Ludlow is preparing her Wales team for a vital upcoming Euro qualifier against Northern Ireland. Like the previous World Cup campaign, it’s a momentum-builder that is gathering energy and changing the perception of women’s sport in Wales. But she still sees limits on the opportunities for girls in all sports – football, hockey, netball – and tells Graham Thomas how more needs to be done. When Jayne Ludlow recalls her own sporting childhood in the Rhondda, one of her more formative memories is of a door closing when she was 11. That was when the current manager of the Wales women’s football team left Dunraven Primary School and moved up to Treorchy Comprehensive.

Wales have qualified for the Uefa under-17 championships elite round after wins and Slovenia and Kosovo in the Netherlands. They finished second in their group behind the hosts, who won 2-1 when the teams played each other. Coach Richard Williams’ team opened the tournament with a 1-0 win against Slovenia with centre-half Jay Williams scoring […]