By Rob Cole
Jayne Ludlow won’t be looking back in anger at her side’s narrow failure to qualify for next year’s Women’s World Cup finals in France when she convenes her next Wales squad session at the start of next month.
Instead the Wales manager will be firmly focussed on the 2021 UEFA European Championship Qualifiers when she brings together 26 players for a four day training camp at the beginning of next month.
The USA-based duo of Jess Fishlock and Peyton Vincze are being rested after an intense 2018, while some of the squad’s younger contingent will miss the camp after being picked for the U19 team travelling to Armenia for the UEFA 2019 Qualifying Round.
“We are already preparing for the next competition and all our camps over the next year will be to ensure we are in the best possible position at the start of the campaign to compete for a place in the Euros,” said Ludlow.
“We have some new faces and it’s a great opportunity for them. Hopefully, it will help them to develop as players over the coming months as we prepare for the next campaign.”
Reading midfielder Charlie Estcourt returns to the squad after missing the last three matches through injury and there will also be some additional faces joining up with the squad between 2-6 October. Ludlow has called up the Tottenham Hotspur trio of Josie Green, Anna Filbey and Megan Wynne, while Emma Jones will be joining up with the squad from Linkopings FC, in Sweden.
Ludlow’s next task is to arrange some friendly fixtures over the next eight months to prepare for the next qualifying campaign
Wales Women’s Training Squad: Laura O’Sullivan (Cardiff City Ladies), Claire Skinner (Cardiff City Ladies), Deanna Lewis (Cyncoed), Poppy Soper (Cardiff City Ladies), Sophie Ingle (Chelsea), Hayley Ladd (Birmingham City), Loren Dykes (Bristol City), Rachel Rowe (Reading), Rhiannon Roberts (Liverpool), Natasha Harding (Reading), Angharad James (Everton), Charlie Estcourt (Reading), Kylie Nolan (Cardiff City Ladies), Kayleigh Green (Brighton & Hove Albion), Hannah Miles (Cardiff City Ladies), Helen Ward (Watford), Cori Williams (Cardiff City Ladies), Kelly Isaac (Cardiff City Ladies), Gemma Evans (Bristol City), Megan Wynne (Tottenham Hotspur), Amelia Ritchie (Charlton Athletic), Anna Filbey (Tottenham Hotspur), Emma Jones (Linkopings FC), Josie Green (Tottenham Hotspur), Nadia Lawrence (Cardiff City Ladies), Carrie Jones (Wales Performance Squad)