Wales national under-21 football team

Last updated

Wales Under-21
Nickname(s) Young Dragons (Welsh: Dreigiau Ifanc)
Association Football Association of Wales (FAW)
Confederation UEFA (Europe)
Head coach Matt Jones
Most caps Shaun MacDonald (25)
Top scorer Ched Evans (13)
FIFA code WAL
Kit left arm wal22h.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body wal22h.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm wal22h.png
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts wal22h.png
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks 3 stripes white.png
Kit socks long.svg
First colours
Kit left arm wal22a.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body wal22a.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm wal22a.png
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts wal22a.png
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks 3 stripes red.png
Kit socks long.svg
Second colours
First international
Flag of England.svg  England 0–0 Wales  Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg
(Wolverhampton, England; 15 December 1976)
Biggest win
Flag of Gibraltar.svg  Gibraltar 0–7 Wales  Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg
(Gibraltar; 12 November 2021)
Biggest defeat
Flag of Italy (2003-2006).svg  Italy 8–1 Wales  Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg
(Pavia, Italy; 5 September 2003)
UEFA U-21 Championship
AppearancesNone (first in n/a)
Best result1st of 5 in qual.
group, 2009. Lost in play off.

The Wales national under-21 football team, also known as the Wales U21s, is the national under-21 football team of Wales and is controlled by the Football Association of Wales. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years. To date Wales haven't yet qualified for the finals tournament but in recent years have shown good form, losing in a playoff (5–4) to England in the 2009 qualifying campaign and finishing second in their group two years later, after leading their group until their last game Wales only needed a draw to qualify for the play-offs but lost 1–0 away to Italy.

Contents

The under-21 team came into existence following the realignment of UEFA's youth competitions in 1976. A goalless draw in a friendly against England at Wolverhampton Wanderers' Molineux Stadium was Wales U21s' first result.

The national under-21 team is the highest level of youth football in Wales, and is open to any players who were born in Wales or whose parents or grandparents were born in Wales. This team is for Welsh players aged 21 or under at the start of a two-year European Under-21 Football Championship campaign, so players can be, and often are, up to 23 years old. Also in existence are teams for Under-20s (for non-UEFA tournaments), Under-19s and Under 17s. As long as they are eligible, players can play at any level, making it possible to play for the U21s, senior side and again for the U21s.

Recent history

Historically the team was viewed by the Welsh national management as a hole to be filled rather than a team to be used to nurture young international players. Many of the great Welsh players spent little time at the under-21 team level. Ryan Giggs only made one appearance for the under-21 team before making his senior debut against Germany the next day.

From 2004 onward however, the former Wales national football team manager John Toshack and former Wales Under 21 manager Brian Flynn used the under-21 team to create a pool of youthful Welsh talent. The team now has a much better tracking system of young Welsh players, and has seen a marked improvement in players and team results. Recent results have seen them achieve big wins against Estonia (5–1), Northern Ireland (4–0) and France (4–2).

Players who have made the step from the U21s to attain over 50 caps for the senior squad are Gary Speed, Simon Davies, Carl Robinson, Craig Bellamy, Robert Earnshaw, James Collins, John Hartson, Andy King, Joe Ledley, Sam Vokes, Wayne Hennessey, Chris Gunter, Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey, Joe Allen, Connor Roberts, Harry Wilson and Daniel James.

On 15 May 2008, they played a friendly against England U21s to mark the 100th match in the history of the side, losing 2–0.

A 3–0 victory against Romania in September 2008 meant that the Under-21 side finished top of their qualifying group for the first time in their history. It meant Wales would go into a two-legged play-off against England in October 2008 for a place in the finals of the 2009 UEFA Under-21 Championship to be played in Sweden. Wales lost the playoff 5–4 over the course of two legs. Losing 3–2 at home in the first leg and drawing 2–2 away in the second.

Wales started their qualifying campaign for the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship with a 1–0 away win against Andorra, a 3–1 away loss against Montenegro, a 1–0 home win against Montenegro, a 1–0 home defeat against Czech Republic and a 0–0 away draw against Armenia.

In May 2012 Brian Flynn vacated his position as Wales under-21 manager at the end of his contract and in July 2012 Geraint Williams was appointed team manager [1] Williams resigned as team manager on 5 December 2016. On 15 March 2017 it was announced that former Port Vale and Northampton Town manager Rob Page had left his position on the coaching staff at Nottingham Forest to become Wales under-21 manager. In August 2019 Page was appointed assistant coach to the senior Wales squad under Ryan Giggs with Paul Bodin stepping up from the Under 19's to manage the Under 21 team. [2]

In November 2021, Wales picked up their biggest ever win at under-21 level when they beat Gibraltar 7–0 in a qualifier for the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. [3] In July 2022 Bodin's contract with Wales Under-21 was terminated by mutual consent. [4] In September 2022, Matt Jones was appointed as manager. [5]

Players

Latest squad

Players born on or after 1 January 2002 are eligible for the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

Wales squad for the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying match against Lithuania in Newport and the friendly match against Morocco in Turkey on 22 and 26 March 2024 respectively. [6]

Caps and goals as of 22 March 2024. Players in bold have attained full international caps. Clubs as of the date of the announcement.

No.Pos.PlayerDate of birth (age)CapsGoalsClub
11 GK Eddie Beach (2003-11-14) 14 November 2003 (age 20)60 Flag of England.svg Chelsea
121 GK Evan Watts (2004-09-23) 23 September 2004 (age 19)10 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Swansea City

22 DF Fin Stevens (2003-04-10) 10 April 2003 (age 21)171 Flag of England.svg Brentford
52 DF Luca Hoole (2002-06-02) 2 June 2002 (age 21)80 Flag of England.svg Bristol Rovers
202 DF Zac Ashworth (2002-09-06) 6 September 2002 (age 21)60 Flag of England.svg West Bromwich Albion
62 DF Matt Baker (2003-02-06) 6 February 2003 (age 21)50 Flag of England.svg Stoke City
192 DF Tom Davies (2003-11-11) 11 November 2003 (age 20)20 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Cardiff City
42 DF Jay Williams (2003-02-26) 26 February 2003 (age 21)10 Flag of England.svg Sutton United
32 DF Terence Miles (2004-09-12) 12 September 2004 (age 19)00 Flag of England.svg Liverpool
152 DF Alex Williams (2005-01-02) 2 January 2005 (age 19)00 Flag of England.svg West Bromwich Albion
2 DF James Sweet (2003-09-06) 6 September 2003 (age 20)00 Flag of England.svg Arsenal
2 DF Luey Giles (2006-08-04) 4 August 2006 (age 17)00 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Cardiff City

3 MF Eli King (2002-12-23) 23 December 2002 (age 21)110 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Cardiff City
83 MF Oli Hammond (2002-11-13) 13 November 2002 (age 21)101 Flag of England.svg Oldham Athletic
103 MF Rubin Colwill (2002-04-27) 27 April 2002 (age 22)95 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Cardiff City
143 MF Joel Cotterill (2004-10-10) 10 October 2004 (age 19)61 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Swansea City
133 MF Luke Harris (2005-03-04) 4 March 2005 (age 19)61 Flag of England.svg Fulham
223 MF Cameron Congreve (2004-01-24) 24 January 2004 (age 20)20 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Swansea City
233 MF Joel Colwill (2004-10-27) 27 October 2004 (age 19)10 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Cardiff City
183 MF Oliver Ewing (2003-01-03) 3 January 2003 (age 21)10 Flag of England.svg Leicester City
73 MF Ben Lloyd (2005-03-14) 14 March 2005 (age 19)00 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Swansea City

114 FW Pat Jones (2003-06-09) 9 June 2003 (age 20)70 Flag of England.svg Huddersfield Town
174 FW Chris Popov (2004-10-26) 26 October 2004 (age 19)60 Flag of England.svg Leicester City
94 FW Lewis Koumas (2005-09-19) 19 September 2005 (age 18)11 Flag of England.svg Liverpool

Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up to the Wales under-21 squad and remain eligible. Players in bold have caps for the senior team.

Pos.PlayerDate of birth (age)CapsGoalsClubLatest call-up
GK Ronnie Hollingshead (2004-09-09) 9 September 2004 (age 19)10 Flag of England.svg West Bromwich Albion v. Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark, 20 November 2023
GK Ben Hughes (2003-11-15) 15 November 2003 (age 20)10 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Swansea City v. Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania, 12 September 2023

DF Owen Beck (2002-08-09) 9 August 2002 (age 21)141 Flag of England.svg Liverpool v. Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania, 22 March 2024INJ
DF Owen Bevan (2003-10-26) 26 October 2003 (age 20)50 Flag of England.svg Bournemouth v. Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark, 20 November 2023
DF Joe Low (2002-02-20) 20 February 2002 (age 22)53 Flag of England.svg Wycombe Wanderers v. Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark, 20 November 2023
DF Harry Leeson (2003-09-02) 2 September 2003 (age 20)10 Flag of England.svg Bristol City v. Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark, 20 November 2023
DF Ed Turns (2002-10-18) 18 October 2002 (age 21)30 Flag of England.svg Brighton & Hove Albion v. Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic, 13 October 2023INJ
DF Oliver Denham (2002-05-04) 4 May 2002 (age 22)00 Flag of Ireland.svg Sligo Rovers (on loan from Cardiff City))v. Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland, 26 March 2023

MF Charlie Crew (2006-06-15) 15 June 2006 (age 17)30 Flag of England.svg Leeds United v. Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania, 22 March 2024INJ
MF Charlie Savage (2003-05-02) 2 May 2003 (age 21)60 Flag of England.svg Reading v. Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark, 20 November 2023
MF Tom Hill (2002-10-13) 13 October 2002 (age 21)10 Flag of England.svg Liverpool v. Flag of Iceland.svg  Iceland, 16 November 2023INJ
MF Jadan Raymond (2003-10-15) 15 October 2003 (age 20)20 Flag of England.svg Crystal Palace v. Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic, 13 October 2023
MF Ryan Howley (2003-11-23) 23 November 2003 (age 20)10 Flag of England.svg Coventry City v. Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic, 13 October 2023

FW Cian Ashford (2004-09-24) 24 September 2004 (age 19)32 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Cardiff City v. Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania, 22 March 2024INJ
FW Josh Thomas (2002-09-24) 24 September 2002 (age 21)72 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Swansea City v. Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark, 20 November 2023
FW Joe Taylor (2002-11-18) 18 November 2002 (age 21)30 Flag of England.svg Luton Town v. Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark, 20 November 2023

Key

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bangor City F.C.</span> Association football club in Bangor, Wales

Bangor City Football Club is a Welsh inactive football club from the City of Bangor, Gwynedd. They started the 2021–22 season in the Cymru North the second level of the Welsh football league system, but on 30 November were suspended from any football activity due to non-payment of wages. On 18 February 2022 the club announced they had withdrawn from the league and the Football Association of Wales confirmed the club's results from the league that season has been expunged. The club subsequently failed to apply for tier 2 or tier 3 licences, leaving them unable to play in any Football Association of Wales league for the 2022–23 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connah's Quay Nomads F.C.</span> Association football club in Wales

Connah's Quay Nomads Football Club is a Welsh professional football club based in Connah's Quay, Flintshire. They play in the Cymru Premier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan Giggs</span> Welsh footballer (born 1973)

Ryan Joseph Giggs is a Welsh football coach, former player and co-owner of Salford City. Regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, Giggs spent his entire professional career at Manchester United, where he also served as the club's interim player-manager and assistant manager. He is one of the most decorated footballers of all time, and is one of only 44 players to have made over 1,000 career appearances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wales national football team</span> Mens association football team representing Wales

The Wales men's national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales (FAW), the governing body for football in Wales. They have been a member of FIFA since 1946 and a member of UEFA since 1954.

The England national under-21 football team, also known as England under-21s or England U21(s), is the national under-21 association football team of England, under the control of the Football Association. It is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Page</span> Welsh football manager and former international player

Robert John Page is a Welsh football manager and former player, who is currently the manager of the Wales national team. In an 18-year career in the Premier League and the English Football League, he made 550 competitive appearances for six different clubs. He both captained a team and scored a goal in each of the top four divisions of English football. He also gained 41 caps for Wales in a ten-year international career, captaining the side once, before he retired from international football in September 2006.

The Scotland national under-21 football team, controlled by the Scottish Football Association, is Scotland's national under 21 football team and is considered to be a feeder team for the Scotland national football team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wales women's national football team</span> Womens association football team representing Wales

The Wales national women's football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales (FAW), the governing body for football in Wales and the third-oldest national football association in the world, founded in 1876.

The Romania national under-21 football team, also known as Romania under-21s or Romania U21(s), is considered to be the feeder team for the Romania national football team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Gunter</span> Welsh footballer (born 1989)

Christopher Ross Gunter is a Welsh former professional footballer who played as a defender. An attacking full back, he was capable of playing on both flanks but usually played on his preferred right side. Since 2023, he has been a coach for the Wales national team.

Paul John Bodin is a Welsh former professional footballer and coach who is the coach of the Wales under-21 team. His son, Billy Bodin, is also a professional footballer.

The North Macedonia national under-21 football team is a youth association football national team which represents North Macedonia at this age level and is a feeder team for the North Macedonia national football team. It was formerly known as the Macedonia national under-21 football team.

The Northern Ireland national under-21 football team also known as the Northern Ireland under-21s or Northern Ireland U21s, is the national under-21 football team of Northern Ireland and is controlled by the Irish Football Association. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years. To date Northern Ireland haven't yet qualified for the finals tournament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luxembourg national under-21 football team</span>

The Luxembourg national under-21 football team is the national representative under-21 football team of Luxembourg. It is controlled by the Luxembourg Football Federation (FLF). The team is the feeder team to the Luxembourg's national team. The team competes in the biennial European Under-21 Championship. Since the establishment of the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship in 1978 the team has always finished bottom of their qualification group.

The Iceland men's national under-21 football team is a national under-21 football team of Iceland and is controlled by the Football Association of Iceland. The team is considered to be the feeder team for the senior Icelandic men's national football team. Since the establishment of the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship in 1978, the team has reached the Euro Championship finals on two occasions, most recently in 2021. In the 2011 and 2021 tournaments they were knocked out in the group stages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Bradshaw (footballer, born 1992)</span> Wales international footballer (born 1992)

Thomas William Bradshaw is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for EFL Championship club Millwall and the Wales national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Rodon</span> Welsh footballer (born 1997)

Joseph Peter Rodon is a Welsh professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for EFL Championship club Leeds United, on loan from Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, and the Wales national team.

Morgan Marc Boyes is a Welsh professional footballer who plays as a defender for Scottish Championship club Inverness Caledonian Thistle, on loan from Scottish Premiership club Livingston. Mainly a centre-back, he can also play as a left-back.

The Wales national football team is the third-oldest side in international association football.

References

  1. Williams appointed to Wales Under 21
  2. Bodin appointed under 21 manager
  3. "Gibraltar U21s 0-7 Wales U21s". BBC Sport. 12 November 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  4. "Wales Under-21 boss Bodin leaves role". BBC Sport. 22 July 2022. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  5. "Matthew Jones: Ex-international midfielder named Wales Under-21 boss". BBC Sport. 15 September 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  6. Under 21 squad