The 2021/22 Cymru Premier will get underway on Friday evening as Cefn Druids host champions Connah’s Quay Nomads to get the league kicked off.
Andy Morrison’s Nomads side retained the title last season with a final-day victory over Penybont.
There was no relegation from the league, meaning Cefn Druids, who finished bottom, and Flint Town United, who finished 11th, will remain in the top-flight for this season.
With restrictions in Wales easing, this is the perfect time to get down to your local Cymru Premier side to watch entertaining football.
Here are the players you need to watch out for from each team for the coming season.
Aberystwyth Town – Alex Darlington
Following the departure of talisman Marc Williams, the Seasiders have brought in proven goal-scorer, Alex Darlington.
Darlington spent last season at Cefn Druids where he became the 29th player to net 100 goals in the league. The milestone came against Flint Town United in December.
The 32-year-old attacker is also a serial winner, with seven Cymru Premier titles to his name.
Aberystwyth avoided the bottom two by a single point last season and they will hope the acquisition of the former-TNS man will bring a change in fortunes at Park Avenue.
Bala Town – David Edwards
The most high-profile signing of the summer, former-Wales international David Edwards made his competitive debut for Bala Town in their UEFA European Conference League defeat to Larne in July.
Aged 35 with 43 caps for his country, Edwards provides much-needed experience to a Bala side who will be looking to break into the top-two next season.
The midfielder featured three times in Wales’ Euro 2016 campaign and impressed with his sharpness in Europe last month.
Barry Town United – Kayne McLaggon
Captain Kayne McLaggon has been pivotal for Barry Town since joining from Merthyr Town in 2017.
The 30-year-old has been a talismanic figure for the Linnets of late, scoring 11 goals in 20 games in an injury-hampered campaign last season.
Capped at youth level for Wales, McLaggon will hope to push on from last season where Barry were defeated in the play-off semi-final by Caernarfon Town.
Caernarfon Town – Danny Gosset
Predicting one stand-out performer for Caernarfon is difficult. They’ve made an array of assured signings with experience in the Cymru Premier.
Arguably Caernarfon’s most assured signing is that of Danny Gosset from Bala Town.
The 26-year-old midfield, who represented Wales C in 2018, is a likable character in the Cymru Premier.
Gosset made his return to football in March after recovering from non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, but his opportunities under Colin Caton were limited.
A box-to-box midfielder who is more than capable at either end of the pitch, Gosset could fill the void left by Leo Smith who departed for The New Saints in 2020.
Cardiff Metropolitan – Adam Roscrow
Following his move from AFC Wimbledon to TNS in January 2021, Adam Roscrow will return to Cyncoed Campus on a season-long loan with Cardiff Met.
It was with the Archers that Roscrow gained attraction from the Football League. His performances earned him a move to League Two outfit AFC Wimbledon in 2019.
The striker’s chances at The Dons were few-and-far-between.
14 of Cardiff Met’s 47 league goals last season came from 19-year-old on-loan striker Ollie Hulbert.
With Roscrow leading the line, can The Students improve on last season’s eighth-placed finish?
Cefn Druids – Niall Flint
Cefn Druids avoided relegation from the league last season despite finishing 12th. They went on a nine-game losing streak at the end of last season.
This season, however, there will be relegation from the league, meaning Niall McGuinness will have his work cut-out to keep his side in the league.
Their stand-out player to watch out for is attacking midfielder Niall Flint.
The 23-year-old popped up with five goals in 29 games last seasom, including a brace against Newtown.
Flint’s strongest asset is his ability to create chances for his teammates, with his ability to pick out a pass being vital in the way the Druids play.
Connah’s Quay Nomads – Callum Morris
Central midfielder Callum Morris was paramount in Connah’s Quay Nomads’ back-to-back title-winning campaigns.
Morris stepped up with 10 goals in 30 games last season, with a spectacular brace in a 4-0 victory over Caernarfon Town emphasising his quality in the final third.
The Nomads will, however, be without defensive midfielder Danny Harrison who has signed for Flint Town United. This may mean that Morris will lose his license to go forward, with less protection and more defensive responsibilities being a possibility.
Flint Town United – Michael Wilde
Flint Town United have made a handful of positive acquisitions this summer – none more jaw-dropping than that of Michael Wilde.
The 37-year-old striker joins the club with an incredible pedigree in the league, having scored over 200 goals in the Welsh top-flight so far. This makes him the fourth-highest scorer in the league’s history.
Wilde has nine Cymru Premier league titles, five Welsh Cups, five League Cups, and two Player of the Season awards to his name.
An absolutely fantastic signing who is sure to help Flint in their quest to rise in the league.
Haverfordwest County – Jack Wilson
Jack Wilson took to life in the Cymru Premier superbly at the start of last season.
The wideman scored eight goals and registered five assists in 15 appearances for the Bluebirds last season before sustaining a lengthy injury against Barry Town in December.
Wilson’s dynamism and direct nature has made him popular amongst fans of the Cymru Premier, winning back-to-back Player of the Month awards for his club.
The 20-year-old returned to action in late April, scoring once in six appearances before the end of the season.
He will be hoping to re-find his scintillating form as Haverfordwest hope to break into the top-six next season.
Newtown – Jordan Evans
Jordan Evans was arguably the biggest factor in Newtown’s play-off-winning campaign last season.
The midfielder scored 10 goals in the league, all of which coming in the crunch-time months of March and April.
His winning goals against Aberystwyth and Flint inspired the Robins to go on a five-game winning streak in Phase Two which saw them finish seventh and earn a play-off semi-final place.
Linking up with ex-Wales international David Cotterill and speedster Lifumpa Mwandwe next season, Evans could help see Newtown push further up in the league rankings.
Penybont – James Waite
Penybont surprised many in their second Cymru Premier season last time out. They finished fourth in the table before crashing out of the play-offs with a late semi-final defeat to Newtown.
Rhys Griffiths has further improved his side with the signings of James Waite, Ryan Reynolds and Keane Watts.
Attacker James Waite joins the club from Cardiff City, where he thoroughly impressed and earned a space in Wales’ youth set-up.
Waite is a lively forward with pace and power, but also has an eye for a goal as shown by his first-half brace in a pre-season victory over Worcester.
The New Saints – Declan McManus
The New Saints will be looking to reclaim their title-winning status after consecutive seasons finishing second to Connah’s Quay Nomads.
Anthony Limbrick’s side had a successful European campaign over the summer. They dramatically fell out of the UEFA Europa Conference League on penalties against Viktoria Plzeň in the third round of qualifying.
As always, The New Saints have recruited wisely, bringing in Ash Baker from Newport County, Jordan Williams from Stockport, Danny Davies from Connah’s Quay, and Declan McManus from Dunfermline.
Attacker McManus has taken to life at The New Saints brilliantly,
The 28-year-old Scotsman will replace TNS’s all-time top-scorer Greg Draper who has departed for Cymru North side Guilsfield.
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