Gemma Grainger has picked a strong and experienced squad for their crucial World Cup Qualifiers at home to France and away to Kazakhstan
Rachel Rowe and Chloe Bull replace Esther Morgan and Maria Francis-Jones in the only changes from the last squad announced for their last World Cup qualifiers against Greece and France last November. And after the success of the men’s team last week, Grainger is certainly hoping that the women can continue the positive feeling around Welsh football.
‘It’s perfect timing for us to build on that momentum, the Together Stronger is really coming to life, you can really see what it means now. For the last six to twelve months, Rob and I have worked together closely and there’s no better time for us than at the moment for the men’s team to give us a lift, to show us what’s it’s like to be in their position’
Helen Ward and Tash Harding, who are on 99 and 98 caps respectively, could join the illustrious hundred club during this camp, and the manager is full of praise for what her players have gone through throughout their careers.
‘The resilience and the journey that they’ve been through as players, they’ve followed the journey of the women’s game and how it’s developed and they’re still seeing that journey to professionalism. They would have experienced every kind of difference, from the amateur side of the game, the lack of full-time opportunities. To the point now where they’re representing their country at the highest level. It’s a real credit to both players, it’s a real show of their resilience and their determination to still be playing at this level, and we hope that continues for a long time’
So far, over 3000 tickets have been sold for the game at Parc y Scarlets against France next Friday, and Grainger is hoping the Red Wall will come out in force and support the team.
‘For me, seeing the Red Wall at the Austria game last Thursday, the impact the fans have on the team when we’re going through tough moments, when we actually excelling and the momentum they give us plays such a huge part.
‘When we went to France, we played in front of over 20,000 French people, and I felt it, the players felt it and we managed to perform in that environment. What we want to do is make France feel the same way, we want them to feel intimidated, we want them to feel like how Austria did on Thursday’
WALES SQUAD TO FACE FRANCE AND KAZAKHSTAN
Laura O’SULLIVAN (Cardiff City Ladies), Olivia CLARK (Coventry United), Poppy SOPER (Plymouth Argyle), Rhiannon ROBERTS (Liverpool), Josie GREEN (TOTTENHAM), Hayley LADD (Manchester United), Gemma EVANS (Reading), Rachel ROWE (Reading), Lily WOODHAM (Reading), Sophie INGLE (Chelsea), Anna FILBEY (Charlton Athletic), Angharad JAMES (Orlando Pride), Chloe WILLIAMS (Blackburn Rovers), Charlie ESTOCOURT (Coventry United), Jess FISHLOCK (OL Reign), Carrie JONES (Manchester United), Ffion MORGAN (Bristol City), Megan WYNNE (Charlton Athletic), Elise HUGHES (Charlton Athletic), Kayleigh GREEN (Brighton & Hove Albion), Helen WARD (Watford), Tash Harding (READING), Ceri HOLLAND (Liverpool), Chloe BULL (Bristol City), Georgie WALTERS (Sheffield United), Morgan ROGERS (Watford)
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