Grainger names strong squad for final two qualifiers
Wales manager Gemma Graingeron the touchline. Wales v Kazakhstan in FIFA Women's World Cup Qualifier at Parc y Scarlets on the 17th September 2021. Credit: Lewis Mitchell
Gemma Grainger has named a strong squad, as Wales prepare to take on Greece and Slovenia in their final World Cup qualifiers.
Wales require four points from their final two matches to clinch a World Cup playoff spot. Grainger, while excited, is fully focused on delivering what the team requires.
‘We’re excited. We’re really looking forward to what we’re calling game nine and game ten and we’re really looking forward to the prospect of what the future holds for the squad’
‘Last September when we were sat here talking about the first two games in the campaign, we feel we are right on track to where we want to be, and that excitement is in place’
‘For us it’s about being successful in the campaign but actually with the mentality that we have, it’s not about looking at these two games in isolation, it’s about a team that qualifies for major tournaments’
Wales travel out to Volos to take on Greece on Friday September 2nd, before returning to Cardiff to take on Slovenia on September 6th.
The game at the Cardiff City Stadium will take place in front of a record crowd. Currently, over 8500 tickets have been sold, and Grainger cannot wait to thrill the home crowd.
‘It’s really special. We hear a lot about the women’s Euros and the impact that it’s had but I also think here we are on our own journey. The work that everyone has put in has led us to where we are now’
‘We will aim to put on a show on the pitch. We will play the that we’ve played, and you’ve seen us play throughout the campaign, because that’s something we’re really passionate about’
‘Most importantly we want them to have a good time, we want to spend time with them, which we will do, at the end of the Slovenia game’
‘That’s a big part of who we are as well, and know that the young boys and young girls know that one of the most exciting things is seeing and speaking to the girls at the end of the game’
The camp will also potentially see two players reaching major milestones. Firstly, Angharad James could win her 100th cap, and the manager was full of praise for the midfielder.
‘It’s a huge achievement. For the age that she’s at, reaching that milestone really shows the level that she’s been playing at for a long time. She’s got so much potential, and I say that because she’s an outstanding player, but she’s got so much more potential to fulfil’
‘It’s not just her on the pitch qualities. Off the pitch she’s a real leader in this team. She’s been around the team for a long time and those experiences that she’s got, we want to make sure that she brings them out’
‘She’s a credit to the team on and off the pitch, and we’re excited to make sure she has a successful season with Spurs and with us’
Rhiannon Roberts is also in line to win her 50th cap. When asked about the impact the Liverpool defender has had on the squad, she smiled before giving this response.
‘It’s really nice to be able to speak about Razza. She’s so dedicated and I think that she’s the type of player that, if you asked her to run through a wall, she would do it and then run through it again and again’
‘That’s the kind of attitude that she has. She’s a professional. I smile because some of the conversations I’ve had with her’
‘I spent a lot of time talking to the players on Zoom, and when she’s at home, there’s something normally related to she’s stretching or she’s doing something in the front room with a football, and that’s the kind of character that she is’
‘We’re so lucky to have role models in this squad and she’s definitely one of them’
Grainger also spoke about the Adran leagues, which get underway in the middle of this international break.
This will be the second season under the new structure, and the Welsh manager is full of praise for the way the league has evolved.
‘The time and the investment that’s been put into the Adran Leagues is coming to the place where we want it to be’
‘One of the things that we said is we want accessibility for our players, and for players to be able to play where they want to play, and that’s really important’
‘Looking at the Adran leagues and the plans that they have for the future is a real positive for the national team, for our young players’
Tickets are still available to buy for the home game against Slovenia and can be bought on the FAW website.
Wales squad to face Greece and Slovenia
Laura O’SULLIVAN (Cardiff City Ladies), Olivia CLARK (Bristol City), Safia MIDDLETON-PATEL (Manchester United), Rhiannon ROBERTS (Liverpool), Josie GREEN (Leicester City), Hayley LADD (Manchester United), Gemma EVANS (Reading), Rachel ROWE (Reading), Lily WOODHAM (Reading), Sophie INGLE (Chelsea), Anna FILBEY (Crystal Palace), Angharad JAMES (Tottenham), Georgia WALTERS (Sheffield United), Charlie ESTCOURT (Unattached), Jess FISHLOCK (OL Reign), Carrie JONES (Leicester City), Ffion MORGAN (Bristol City), Meg WYNNE (Southampton), Elise HUGHES (Crystal Palace), Kayleigh GREEN (Brighton and Hove Albion), Helen WARD (Watford), Tash HARDING (Aston Villa), Ceri HOLLAND (Liverpool), Maria FRANCIS-JONES (Sheffield United), Chloe WILLIAMS (Blackburn Rovers), Morgan ROGERS (Watford)
