Rhian Wilkinson – Who is she and what should Wales expect?
DUBLIN, IRELAND - 26 FEBRUARY 2024: Wales announce Rhian Wilkinson as the Womens National Team on the 26th of February 2024. (Pic by Ashley Crowden/FAW)
It was announced tonight that Rhian Wilkinson was announced as Wales’ new manager.
Wilkinson may be a new name to a lot of Wales fans, but here, we dissect just why Wilkinson could be the perfect manager to take over from Gemma Grainger.
On the pitch…
Wilkinson’s achievements as a player is simply remarkable.
As a club player, the Canadian has played all over the world. Having started off with Ottawa Fury, Wilkinson quickly made the move to LSK Kvinner, the female branch of the Norwegian club Lillestrøm SK. Wilkinson played for seven years in Norway, before then moving back to the NWSL and playing for clubs in Boston and Portland.
As an international player, Wilkinson has seen it all. She made 183 appearances for Canada and won numerous medals. The veteran defender won two bronze medals in the Olympics (one in London 2012 and one on Rio 2016), and also won a gold medal in the Pan American Games in 2011. With her achievements, Wilkinson was inducted into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame in 2022.
When it comes to matters on the pitch, Wilkinson knows exactly what it takes from a club and international perspective.
Off the pitch…
Wilkinson’s managerial journey is also an interesting one.
Having started out as manager of the age group teams in Canada, she was asked by current manager Bev Priestman to become assistant manager to the senior side. She was then asked by interim England head coach Hege Riise to become her assistant manager in the time before Sarina Wiegman took over as head coach. In addition to her England role, Wilkinson was also Riise’s assistant when Team GB competed at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo.
Having been an assistant for so long, Wilkinson made the move into her first senior management role with Portland Thorns, the club where she ended her career with. In her only season with the Oregon based team, she won the NWSL, defeating Kansas City Current 2-0 in the final.
At the Thorns, Wilkinson had a good record of managing senior players while also brining through younger talent. The likes of Sophia Smith came through the team with Wilkinson at the helm, while senior players like Christine Sinclair also thrived under her system.
What should Wales fans expect?
Wales fans should expect a team with a lot of attacking intent.
If we look at her record in the NWSL, her Portland Thorns side scored a whopping 49 goals in the regular season. That’s 14 more goals than any other NWSL that reached the playoffs that season, which means her teams are always exciting to watch.
Wilkinson is of course a former defender, and her sides don’t concede many either. In the regular season, the Thorns conceded 24 goals in 22 games, the third lowest amount in the league. In the playoffs, they only conceded two goals in three games, a sign that when the big occasion comes, her side know when to shut up shop.
It could well be a rollercoaster ride under the Canadian, but a ride that could bring members of the Red Wall a lot of joy.
Welsh connection?!
Now, we in Wales are suckers for anyone who has a connection in anyway to our small nation, and luckily for us, Wilkinson has just that!
Her mother was born in Wales, and for a year in the 90s, Wilkinson’s family relocated to Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan, where she attended Bont Faen Primary School. Her Welsh side may be unique, but in an interview with the FAW, Wilkinson says she cannot wait to learn more about her heritage.
“My mother is Welsh, and I spent part of my childhood growing up in south Wales, so I’m excited to involve myself with the country’s culture and explore that part of my roots even further.”
The verdict?
It’s never nice to lose a manager, especially when the team is enjoying reasonable success, but the appointment of Rhian Wilkinson should excite fans no end.
The NWSL is often regarded as a very difficult league to find success in, but the fact the Canadian won the title in her one and only season as manager should say a lot about her capabilities.
If she can bring the same level of intensity she did to Portland, you have to fancy our chances of gaining qualification to our first major tournament, which would be Euro 2025 in Switzerland.
