Following a lacklustre performance in Qatar, four senior players have retired from the national team. On Sunday, Jonny Williams joined Chris Gunter, Joe Allen, and Gareth Bale by throwing in the towel.
With the departure of the old guard, Page’s announcement marks the start of a new era for the national team. The squad features four uncapped players:
- Jordan James (Birmingham City)
- Nathan Broadhead (Ipswich Town)
- Luke Harris (Fulham)
- Oli Cooper (Swansea)
The decision to exclude Cooper from the squad despite his strong form in Swansea City’s Championship run led to heated debate among fans last year. No Cardiff City player has been called to the camp, despite Rubin Colwill and Mark Harris featuring in the World Cup squad.
The newly-crowned captain and Nice midfielder, Aaron Ramsey, becomes the most-capped outfield player in the squad, with Ben Davies and Wayne Hennessey also among the old heads returning.
As the Premier League’s third highest scoring player under 22, Nottingham Forest star Brennan Johnson has secured his place in the squad—being the fan favourite to replace Wales’ top goal scorer, Bale. Page declared his confidence that Johnson will be fit to start amid fears that his groin injury against Tottenham on Saturday could rule him out of the first two games.
Page’s squad are aiming to reach their third consecutive European Championships, which will be held in Germany next summer. Cymru will join Croatia, Latvia, Turkey, and Armenia in Group D for the EURO qualifying campaign.
After facing World Cup semi-finalists Croatia in Split on Saturday 25 March, the team will return to Cardiff City Stadium to play against Latvia on Tuesday 28 March. Tickets are available to purchase on the FAW ticketing website.
EURO 2024 Qualifying Fixtures
- Croatia v Wales – March 25
- Wales v Latvia – March 28
- Wales v Armenia – June 16
- Turkey v Wales – June 19
- Latvia v Wales – September 11
- Wales v Croatia – October 15
- Armenia v Wales – November 18