By Gareth James
Jess Fishlock insists Wales can make it to the Euro 2025 play-off final if they keep cool heads and clear minds when they take on Slovakia on Tuesday night.
The Wales star – her country’s best player and inspiration for over a decade – is the potential saviour Wales will look to as they seek to overcome a 2-1 deficit from the first leg.
Never mind that Fishlock had her first minutes in Slovakia on Friday since suffering a knee injury at the start of September.
She came on as a 64th-minute substitute and dragged Wales back into a contest that was fast getting away from them.
Fishlock, Wales’ most celebrated female player, will make her 156th appearance – a Dragons record – as Wales seek to overturn that one-goal deficit in Cardiff.
Jess Fishlock is set to start for Wales in tomorrow's crucial second leg against Slovakia ✅#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/9Dk8uJishd
— BBC Sport Wales (@BBCSportWales) October 28, 2024
Manager Rhian Wilkinson labelled her side “unrecognisable” from the team that had been unbeaten in her previous six games, before they were thrown a lifeline for the return match when Fishlock set up Ffion Morgan’s late strike with a delightful pass.
“I am as ready as ever to do what I can for this country, as I have done for the last almost 20 years now,” said Fishlock.
“Honestly, I don’t think we need to be chasing anything.
“We are one goal down at this point and there’s 90 minutes of play, so we don’t need to panic. I believe we have got the squad to do what we need.”
Fishlock’s career has brought two Champions League titles as well as domestic honours in Australia, France, Netherlands and the United States.
But there is an obvious omission on her stellar CV, playing at a major tournament for Wales.
She added: “Getting to a major tournament with your country is by far the biggest pinnacle of a career.
“It’s something you’ll always strive and dream for. This would be the most amazing thing and I think the whole of Wales is saying that.”
Wales or Slovakia are likely to play the Republic of Ireland in the play-off final later this year.
The Republic host Georgia on Tuesday with a 6-0 lead from the first leg.
Whether these games amount to the final ones in a Wales shirt for Fishlock is still a matter on conjecture.
Wilkinson has taken Fishlock’s international future “off the table” by refusing to discuss what lies ahead for the veteran midfielder after the play-off showdown with the Slovaks.
Wilkinson confirmed Fishlock will start after injury but refused to allow the 37-year-old Seattle Reign midfielder to answer a question about her Wales future, interjecting when sitting alongside her at the pre-match press conference.
Wilkinson said: “I think it’s an obvious question to ask of our legendary players when they are getting to an age that’s closer to retirement than their debut.
“Jess is one of the best players to ever play for Wales.
“So to ask her when that career will end, especially when these games are coming up, I’m just going to take that off the table for her because it’s a critical game.
“Jess could play well into her forties. It is a personal decision when you stop playing, a very personal one, it involves the player and also their family.
“It takes a lot of context, so I don’t think it’s fair to answer that right now because we have such an important game.”