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Y Clwb Peldroed
The selection headaches facing Ryan Giggs ahead of Euro 2020
Nearly four years after reaching the semi-finals of Euro 2016, Wales are gearing up to compete in the 2020 instalment in what feels like a golden-era for football in the country
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With an array of players staking a strong claim to be on the plane, we take a look at who could feature in Ryan Giggs’ 23- man squad.
Goalkeepers
Not only the first name on the list of 23, but also the first on the teamsheet is Wayne Hennessey. Having earned 89 caps for Wales, Hennessey is just three caps away from Neville Southall’s record of 92 appearances. The Crystal Palace stopper was dependable in qualifying, most notably making a crucial double save in the 2-0 win over Hungary on the night that secured qualification. A deputy to Leicester City’s Kasper Schmeichel, Danny Ward is likely to be included as a backup to Hennessey in Giggs’ 23-man squad. Ward has struggled for appearances since his 2018 move to the Foxes from Liverpool – featuring just nine times – but he remains a safe bet to be selected for the Championships. The final spot is expected to be taken by Stoke City’s Adam Davies, who played 184 times for Barnsley over the course of five seasons, before making the move to the Potters in 2019. Other contenders include Newport’s Tom King, who was called up for the final two games of qualification back in November, and former Preston, Fleetwood and Wrexham man Chris Maxwell, who recently signed for Blackpool until the end of the season. Full-backs A regular in the Tottenham Hotspur team – especially now that Danny Rose is on loan at Newcastle United – left-back Ben Davies is a fans’ favourite in the Wales ranks. Arguably, Wales would not have had such success in Euro 2016 had it not been for his heroic clearance off the line in the opening stages against Slovakia. An ever-present in the Euro 2020 qualifiers, Davies can be sure of his place on the plane. Connor Roberts, the Swansea City full-back, was a key component in Wales’ qualification campaign and has featured regularly for Steve Cooper’s side in the Championship this season. It is clear that Giggs favours Roberts at right-back, having selected the Swans man in seven of Wales’ eight qualifiers.
Much like Davies, Roberts’ place in the squad is in little doubt.
Wales’ most capped player of all time with 96 caps, Reading’s Chris Gunter was a star at Euro 2016, memorably crossing for Sam Vokes to head home against Belgium to send Wales into the semi-finals. However, sentiment cannot influence selection for the upcoming Championships, with Liverpool teenager Neco Williams also staking a claim.
Williams’ swift rise in the last few months could result in Giggs including him in his 23- man squad, as he is no stranger to giving young players a chance on the international stage.
Another experienced head in contention for a call-up is Aston Villa’s Neil Taylor, who was a goalscorer in the 2016 campaign, netting the second goal in a 3-0 group stage win over Russia. Having featured in just one game in the qualifying campaign, Taylor’s case of uncertainty is similar to that of Gunter and Williams.
Outside contenders to be selected in the full-back role are Cardiff’s Jazz Richards, Charlton’s Adam Matthews, Preston’s Andrew Hughes, Sheffield United’s Kieron Freeman and Sunderland loanee Declan John.
Centre-Back
Arguably Wales’ best centreback, Chris Mepham’s place at Euro 2020 is all but secured, with the Bournemouth defender impressing in his five appearances in qualifying.
Having formed a good partnership with Mepham in the final two qualifying wins over Azerbaijan and Hungary, Charlton’s Tom Lockyer is a centre-back option that Giggs favoured on four occasions during the qualifying campaign. Without necessarily standing out, Lockyer looked comfortable at international level, and is staking a claim for a place on the plane. Now back from injury, Joe Rodon’s reputation has risen markedly in recent times and he is now a regular starter for Swansea. Still only 22, Rodon impressed when he featured in qualifying and arguably would have started the final matches had it not been for injury. If he can continue playing regularly for the Swans before the Euros, he is another who is likely to be selected. The final centre-back spot will undoubtedly go down to the wire, with Ashley Williams, James Chester, James Lawrence and Ben Cabango all in the running to be selected. Williams was named captain of Wales in 2012 and has been a fantastic player and leader since then, especially excelling at Euro 2016 as he memorably scored the equaliser in the quarter-final victory against Belgium. Despite Williams’ achievements for Wales, sentiment cannot influence Giggs’ decision whether to take the Bristol City centre-back to Euro 2020 or not, and this is one of Giggs’ biggest selection headaches going into the tournament. James Lawrence of Wales in action against Trinidad & Tobago. Wales v Trinidad & Tobago International friendly at the Racecourse Ground, Wrexham. Another of the heroes of Euro 2016, Chester signed for Stoke on loan from Aston Villa on deadline day in order to stake a claim for a place in Wales’ 23- man squad. Having missed the qualifying campaign, the 31- year-old will be keen to get back into the international setup, but his place at Euro 2020 will depend on his performances in the coming months. Central Midfield Arguably Wales’ most important player, Joe Allen is most certainly on his way to Euro 2020. Every time he has put on the Wales shirt, he has delivered, with industrious and tireless performances in midfield. Having missed just one game in qualifying through suspension, Allen is one of Giggs’ first names on the team sheet. Predominantly operating with a two-man midfield, not only will Giggs need a consistent partner for Allen, but also sufficient cover in the midfield area, as it is a role that requires tenacity and energy. Wales fans were delighted to see Ethan Ampadu excel in RB Leipzig’s Champions League win over Tottenham Hotspur recently and for good reason. On loan at the German outfit from Chelsea, Ampadu looked assured in possession and defended admirably. Despite the debate on whether his best position is in central midfield or centre-back, the youngster’s selection looks a certainty and will provide Giggs with invaluable versatility. Will Vaulks of Wales with a throw-in against Trinidad & Tobago. Wales v Trinidad & Tobago International friendly at the Racecourse Ground, Wrexham. Despite a slow start to life at Cardiff City after signing from Rotherham in June 2019, Will Vaulks looks to have settled in the Welsh capital, treating the Bluebirds’ fans to his trademark acrobatic celebration,as he netted the second in a 3-0 win at Huddersfield recently. If the midfielder continues his current form, he will earn a place in Giggs’ squad. The final spot in central midfield may be debated, but
it is likely that Giggs will stick with Bristol City midfielder Joe Morrell, who is currently on loan at Lincoln City and impressed in his four appearances in the qualifying campaign, with composed and disciplined displays. Attacking Midfield & Wingers Given the players in contention to be selected in Wales’ forward areas, any remaining accusations that Wales are a one-man-team can surely now be put to bed. In qualifying campaign for the 2016 Championships, two thirds of Wales’ goals were scored by Gareth Bale, while the Real Madrid winger scored 20% of Wales’ goals as they qualified for Euro 2020. This stat alone speaks volumes about the depth and firepower that Giggs now has at his disposal. Although Wales’ reliance on Bale has lessened in recent times, it remains undeniable that the four-time Champions League winner is Wales’ best player and is crucial to his side’s chances of progressing from the group stages. Having swapped the Gunners for the Old Lady in July 2019, Aaron Ramsey now plies his trade for Juventus, playing alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala. Although Ramsey missed most of the qualifying campaign through injury, the Caerphillyborn midfielder stepped up when it mattered most, netting twice against Hungary to send Wales to Euro 2020. Like Bale, Ramsey’s place in Giggs’ 23-man squad is not in question. A regular in Manchester United’s team, Daniel James is another whose place on the plane – if fit – is a certainty, having impressed for Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s side this season. James got Wales’ qualification campaign off to the perfect start, scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win over Slovakia back in March 2019 and he played in every game on the way to Euro 2020, where he will pose a danger to opposition full-backs with his lightning pace. The current record-holder for Wales’ youngest international, Harry Wilson caught the headlines last season with brilliant displays whilst on loan at Derby County, most notably scoring a wonderful free-kick at Old Trafford against Manchester United in the Carabao Cup. Since then, Wilson has put in some impressive performances in his debut season in the Premier League on loan at Bournemouth from Liverpool. Although Wilson can be sure of his place in the 23-man squad, it speaks volumes about the depth in Wales’ squad that a player of his quality arguably misses out in Giggs’ best XI. There are doubts over the fitness of David Brooks going into Euro 2020, after he suffered an ankle injury back in August last year. Speaking to BBC Sport at the start of February, Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe admitted Brooks is “some way away” from fitness but remains “cautiously optimistic” he will play this season. There are strong contenders to fill the void if Brooks loses the battle to be fit for Euro 2020, with Derby County’s Tom Lawrence, Charlton’s Jonny Williams, Schalke’s Rabbi Matondo and Wales’ all-time youngest international goalscorer, Ben Woodburn, all familiar faces for Wales in recent times. Strikers There is strong debate regarding the number of strikers Ryan Giggs should bring to Euro 2020, which makes it difficult to predict who will be selected. This time last year, not many – if any – Wales fans would have predicted that Wigan’s Kieffer Moore would have had the impact that he has had since his first call up back in May 2019, but the target-man was excellent in qualifying, scoring in Slovakia and in Hungary, while his hold-up play was highly impressive. Despite scoring just three goals for the Latics in the Championship this season, Moore’s ability on the international stage to hold the ball up and bring the likes of Bale, Ramsey and James into the game means he is likely to be selected for Euro 2020. There is plenty of debate about whether Hal Robson-Kanu, the scorer of that famous goal against Belgium at Euro 2016, should be selected for Euro 2020 after retiring from international football back in August 2018. While Wales secured qualification for Euro 2020, West Bromwich Albion’s Robson-Kanu re-opened the door to international football in November of last year. Wales’ success in Euro 2016 was built on team-spirit, and if picking a player who retired from international football and made no appearances in qualifying doesn’t affect the spirit in the camp, then Hal Robson-Kanu has a strong chance of going to Euro 2020, as he offers a different dimension to Moore. Like Moore, Christian Doidge’s reputation has risen over the last year and he is now staking a strong claim to be included in Giggs’ squad. The Hibernian striker has scored 17 times in all competitions this season, which makes him by far the most prolific of Wales’ strikers going into the Championships. Doidge’s selection would inspire strikers in the Cymru Premier, as Doidge was a natural goalscorer for both Barry Town United and Carmarthen Town before turning professional. Doidge’s story is one that shows players in the Cymru Premier can one day be in contention to play for Wales.
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A few years back, a manager - who will remain nameless - of a thenConference club finished giving his post-match interview.
His side had just lost an FA Trophy quarter-final. He’d said all the things you’d expect. Disappointed that his side had been below par, frustrated at the goals they’d conceded and rued the missed opportunity of a trip to Wembley.
Then, after checking the assembled press had got what they needed and all dictaphones were off, he cheered, ‘I’m so glad we’re out!’
In truth, you could partly see his point. They were going for promotion, something the club desperately wanted and the additional games could have been a tipping point.
But the Trophy has had a bit of a kicking in recent years. Managers moaning about fixture pile-ups, calls for it to become a midweek competition, there was even a spell when the final was moved to March in a bid to help those Step 1 clubs.
Thankfully the FA have held their ground and moving the finals back to Wembley in May - as they have been in recent years since the inception of NonLeague Finals Day - has restored the showpiece final to its rightful place.
And it’s a competition that has thrown up some wonderful stories. Not least this season with the incredible run of Step 4 duo Halesowen Town and Aveley. Both caused upsets on their way to the quarter-final, where Aveley finally bowed out in front of 500 travelling fans at Notts County. Manager Keith Rowland couldn’t have been prouder of his players and spoke about how it has helped their league form. Now their focus returns to winning promotion from the Isthmian Division One North. For Halesowen the journey, remarkably, continues. An extratime win against Barnet keeps their dream alive and is conjuring memories of their famous past when they were a big Non-League hitter in the 70s and 80s. No one would have called the Yeltz reaching the final four. But 13 games later - including replays - Paul Smith’s side are a two-legged semi-final away from reaching Wembley. Both those sides are also enjoying fantastic runs of their own. It’s been the year of the underdog in Non-League’s top cup comp. On the face of it, all three will be thinking they’re unlikely to get a better chance of getting to the famous stadium. National League pair Harrogate Town and Notts County make up the other semi. But the unpredictability is what makes the football so exciting. One lucky club will be climbing the Wembley steps victorious not too long from now. Yes, there will be a knock-on effect with their league fixtures. But what a great problem to have - if you get there.
