Two Manchester United prodigies and a winger made in Chelsea – Meet Wales’ new stars
ALGÉS, PORTUGAL - 16 FEBRUARY 2023: Wales' Olivia Francis during the WU17 friendly international match between Wales and the Czech Republic at the Cidade do Futebol, February 16, 2023 in Algés, Portugal. (Pic by Filipe Amorim/FAW)
Tomorrow sees the Wales squad meet up for the first time this year, as they prepare to take on the Republic of Ireland.
But who exactly are these new players? And what should we as Wales fans expect from them?
Olivia Francis
Let’s start with the player that may be most familiar to Wales fans. Having come through the FAW Girls’ Academy, Francis moved to Pontypridd United and made one heck of an impact. Across 22 games in all competitions, Francis scored twelve and assisted four. That’s more goals than the likes of Eliza Collie, Erin Murray, and Emily Allen. Her electric pace and silky dribbling was a joy to watch, and her performances were enough to see her named Adran Premier Young Player of the Year.
Francis caught the eye of WSL side Manchester United and made the move to Old Trafford in the summer.
Since joining the Red Devils, Francis has featured a lot for the U19 side, but has also been involved in first team matches. She came off the bench in their January friendly against PSV Eindhoven and was also named on the bench in their FA Cup match away to Southampton.
Jess Osborne played with Francis at Pontypridd, and she knows the youngster will star on the big stage.
“From my time with playing with Olivia Francis last season she is an exciting young talent who is hungry and dedicated to developing.
“She is versatile in how she likes to play, likes to drop in and play with her back to goal dropping in to link up the play but also if there’s space in behind, she likes to run in behind defenders using her pace.
“She along with other youngsters who have been brought into the squad is a really good opportunity for them to learn and developing within the senior environment.”
Tianna Teisar
Teisar is another name that might be familiar to those in the Red Wall. Having risen up the ranks at Bristol City, Teisar signed her first professional contract with the Robins when she turned 18 in September 2023. Before that, she made her first appearance for the first team against Blackburn Rovers, before winning more caps towards the end of the season, as City marched to the Championship title.
This year, Teisar has featured in all of City’s Conti Cup games, including playing against the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham, and came off the bench for her first WSL appearance in a 5-0 defeat away to Manchester City.
In January, Teisar made a loan move to Cardiff City Ladies until the end of the season and has made a bright start there.
Her manager at her parent club, Lauren Smith, is delighted that the forward has a chance to show what she can do this camp.
“Tianna has come in with a new confidence since going to Cardiff City Ladies. She’s getting the minutes under her belt and that she needs in order for her to know what she can do, which we absolutely know and believe she’s got the ability to.
“I’m so pleased she’s got the call-up in a fresh-faced Wales squad which has a got a lot of young players in, and now she’s got an opportunity to make her mark and the senior players will know her name.
“I know she’ll go in and be herself and she’ll be a real positive for the group.”
Lois Joel
If you don’t know about Joel, then you really should. Her story is very unique compared to almost everyone else in the Wales squad. Hailing from London, the defender went through the youth systems at Watford, Arsenal, and Chelsea, but she would go on to play in an entirely different country.
Joel originally set off to the US to join the West Virginia Mountaineers and made 33 starts for the team. However, on the recommendation of current Arsenal duo Lotte Wubben-Moy and Alessia Russo, Joel headed south to join the North Carolina Tar Heels.
The defender spent three years in the States before heading back to the UK and to West Ham United. In two years, she made 13 appearances for the Hammers, before moving to London City Lionesses, the club she plays for now. She’s captained the side on more than one occasion for a Lionesses team that contains senior players like Ruesha Littlejohn, Danielle Carter, and Megan Campbell.
Joel has also spent time with the England age group teams. She’s featured for both the England U17 and U19 teams but hasn’t played for them since 2017. Now she’s back in the international fold for Wales, where she could fill in a defensive role very easily.
Mayzee Davies
Another defender selected to the squad for the first time is Mayzee Davies. Davies comes from a footballing family. Her father, John Davies, played for Flint Town United, Chester City, Airbus, Colwyn Bay, and Holywell Town, and now it’s his daughter who is shining.
Mayzee, like her father, started out at Flint before moving to Llandudno, and pretty quickly, she joined Everton. A move to Manchester City followed shortly after, but restrictions on under-18 footballers meant she had to move once more. This time it was to the red side of Manchester, where she’s been ever since.
Similarly to Francis, Davies has been out to Malta for warm weather training in January and started that game against PSV. The centre-back is also currently on dual registration with AFC Fylde.
At United, Davies is learning off two Lionesses in Millie Turner and Maya Le Tissier, while also playing alongside Gemma Evans and Hayley Ladd. If the call comes on Tuesday, you can expect a defender who can play well with the ball at her feet and provide some composure when needed.
Tegan McGowan
The final new face in the squad is Tegan McGowan. Another who has featured heavily in the Wales age group teams, McGowan started life at Chelsea. The Blues truly are a behemoth in the women’s game, and McGowan started training with their first team at the age of 17, a sign of just how talented she is.
In the summer of 2022, McGowan left Stamford Bridge and headed to Charlton Athletic, where she has been ever since, and has made a number of starts for the team in the Championship.
McGowan is a forward who is incredibly versatile. Able to play on either the left or right side of an attack, she could play the role vacated due to Hannah Cain’s injury. At the Addicks, McGowan also plays alongside Kayleigh Barton, and that could be a partnership Jon Grey could look to utilise.
