Wales boss Ryan Giggs named his squad for the upcoming Nations League matches against Finland and Bulgaria last week, and there was one omission in particular which caused some surprise amongst fans.
Former Barry Town United striker Christian Doidge missed out on inclusion in the 26-man squad, despite being in fine goalscoring form for Scottish Premiership outfit Hibernian.The 28 year-old, who scored 26 goals in 30 appearances for the Linnets in a two-year spell between 2011 and 2013, has been superb since joining Hibs in 2019.
The Newport-born striker scored 12 times in 28 appearances during the 2019-2020 campaign, and has continued in a similar vein at the start of this season, netting two goals in six outings for an impressive Hibees side who currently sit second behind Rangers.
Doidge also showed his deadly instincts in front of goal during a three-year spell at Forest Green Rovers between 2016 and 2019, but he is somewhat surprisingly yet to earn a Wales cap.
And given the fact that the Welshman is in great form, it would have been a perfect time for him to be introduced, as the Red Dragons look to get off to a positive start in the Uefa Nations League.
Embed from Getty ImagesHibernian manager Jack Ross has since given his thoughts on Doidge being overlooked by Wales.
“I spoke to Christian in the aftermath of him not making the squad. His first emotion was one of disappointment because he has been in consistently good form for a while now.
“But it was a case of reminding him, very obviously, if he continues to do what he’s doing, and he has done, then he will keep giving himself every opportunity.
“And also Christian’s career path, he has had to deal with a lot of rejections and setbacks along the way. He has continually had to prove people wrong, if you look at his background.
“And he should continue to have that motivation. He will have no problems that way.” he said, speaking to Sportsmole.
But the former Sunderland manager believes it is only a matter of time before Giggs calls upon the services of the forward.
“He was a little bit sore because he was working towards it but all he has got to do is continue to do what he’s doing and get better – continue getting better. And if he does that, I’m sure that will come for him at some point,” added Ross.
Embed from Getty ImagesHis exclusion came as a further surprise following Tyler Roberts’ withdrawing from the squad and later going on to be named on the bench in Leeds’ 3-0 defeat to Stoke City.
There is little doubting Doidge’s talent and he deserves a chance to shine for his country, especially due to the way he has conducted himself since making the switch to Scotland.
But the best thing Doidge can do is not to dwell on this latest setback and continue to do what he is doing, because surely it is only a matter of time before he gets picked for Wales.
This could also provide him with more drive and determination than ever, especially with the European Championships to come next summer.
(Featured Image: Rhys Skinner)
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