Wales boss Rhian Wilkinson vowed to seek out opportunities for her players after the “mind-blowing” experience of naming a Euro 2025 squad with five players out of contract.
Wales – the lowest-ranked side in Switzerland – finished last and without a point in Group D, widely viewed as the competition’s ‘group of death’, following their 6-1 loss to defending champions England, who qualified for the quarter-finals alongside France.
In order to address what Wilkinson feels is a “real fitness gap” between her major tournament debutants and top sides like England, the Canadian coach is adamant they need to be more involved at club level.
“An international programme can’t really do that,” said Wilkinson. “We get them on a FIFA window for 10 days. So, my players have to be playing.
“I had five players out of contract here. It’s mind-blowing to me. Esther Morgan starts all our games, and she doesn’t have a club.
“It drives me wild. As a Canadian who was developed in the US, of course it’s not the US’ priority to develop the Canadians. I look at some of my players, and it does frustrate me, you can tell.
“I’ve got to try to find them opportunities abroad, maybe in Scandinavia, maybe I can send them to North America, which is a tough challenge, but they have to be playing. That’s the basic.”
Goalkeeper Poppy Soper, centre-back Rhiannon Roberts, midfielder Alice Griffiths, forward Kayleigh Barton and former Wales captain Sophie Ingle were all unattached when Wilkinson’s squad was unveiled on June 19th, with several others – including Morgan – now looking for new employers after the ends of their club contracts.
Roberts has since signed a two-year deal with Women’s Super League 2 side Sunderland, while Barton has been named the new head coach for Saltdean United.
Ingle is a free agent after leaving Chelsea, where she made 214 appearances and lifted 11 trophies across two spells, but missed out on almost a year of action – and their sixth-straight WSL title – after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury last pre-season.
She marked her comeback in Wales’ Euro 2025 opening loss to the Netherlands.
“The next stage is how do I get (players) into an environment where they’re getting that game time?” Wilkinson continued.
“And then the next step is they’re not club players, they’re international players.
“So what is it that we’re doing with Wales to support their sport scientists, because they have to be ready, but they are owned by their club?
“How do we work with them to continue to push their physical standards, because, I’ll be honest, we don’t have enough of my players right now who are hitting the top-level benchmark.”
Wilkinson and her players have spoken about the legacy they want to leave, pointing to the example of England’s 2022 European champions, who used their triumph to spark policy change and investment into grassroots and school sport.
“I need to get back to Wales and keep making sure that across our country we continue to push opportunities for our young girls, for all sport,” added Wilkinson.
“This is a time in the world with a lot happening. I’m a football manager, I can’t speak too much, but I will say that giving equal opportunity to our young girls has got to be something we push for.”
