Wales Women are on the brink of history.

Manager Rhian Wilkinson has selected a highly experienced 23-player squad for her side’s first ever major tournament – the 2025 Women’s European Championships in Switzerland.

Angharad James captains the group and has over 100 caps to her name and forms a strong group of senior players with fellow centurions Jess Fishlock – Wales’ record goal scorer and appearance maker – Hayley Ladd, and Sophie Ingle.

Ingle was touch and go to make the plane to Switzerland, having injured her ACL in preseason last year. Having been captain in Wilkinson’s first match in charge, Ingle’s composure and comfort on the ball are vital for Wales to gain ascendancy in midfield.

The former Chelsea midfielder trained with the squad during Wales’ recent international camp but has not played for nearly a year.

“We needed to make sure that Sophie Ingle was in a good place, she’s still on her path to full fitness but she’s in a position now where she can contribute which is important for us,” Wilkinson said.

“Sophie’s pushing, she’s looking really good in training. She made me look foolish yesterday, I should never jump into training anymore, it’s not good for my ego!

“She has to be able to contribute in some way, that was the pre-requisite that I had. When she was able to meet that she was a straight into the squad.”

Midfield is an area of the pitch where Wales have real strength. Captain James is a stalwart in the centre of the pitch, while Alice Griffiths, Lois Joel, and Carrie Jones are all rapidly improving.

Add in Hayley Ladd – a midfielder at club level and central defender for Cymru – and Wales are well placed to cover for Ingle if she is not available from the beginning of the tournament.

It is a similar situation facing Wales in O’Sullivan’s position of goalkeeper. Olivia Clark of Leicester City has been Wilkinson’s undisputed number one since the Canadian took the job last year, while Safia Middleton-Patel is highly rated and gaining experience at Manchester United.

However, if the worst were to happen and Clark pick up a late injury, Wales would be in crisis mode. Third choice goalkeeper Poppy Soper is the only member of the squad without a senior international cap.

In defence, Wales look lean and mean. Rhiannon Roberts, Gemma Evans, and Ladd form as solid a back three as you can get at Wales’ level, while Josie Green, Charlie Estcourt, Lily Woodham, Ella Powell, and Esther Morgan are all rearing to be given a chance either at wing back or centre half.

Up front, Wilkinson is still heavily reliant on veteran forward Jess Fishlock for goals.

“Jess is going to be the face, the name of Wales,” Wilkinson added.

“She knows that. But equally there is a group of senior players who have come through the whole thing, they have seen it all, been through it all and fought the fights.

“To get the team over the line at what may be the end of their careers… it’s one of those things as a coach you are really proud of, to help deliver that.”

Hannah Cain and Ffion Morgan are point of difference players but are still at the stage of their careers where they need to be managed and put in optimal positions in order to thrive.

Elise Hughes, having only just returned from her own long term knee injury, is ready to be given more of a central role in the attack.

Rachel Rowe, Kayleigh Barton, and Ceri Holland are reliable as they come and while chip in in important moments.

While Wales inevitably head to Switzerland the heavy underdogs in their group containing Netherlands, France, and England, this squad has quality and experience in abundance.

Wilkinson’s team face the winners of the previous two tournaments – Netherlands in 2017 and England in 2022 – as well as France who were beaten semi-finalists in both.

“I’m in a perfect situation, which is that I don’t care, and I think that is the gift of it, being our first opportunity, we get to walk into this experience fearless,” Wilkinson said when the draw was made in December.

“There are not many people that expect much from us, the people that expect the most are ourselves.

“And so, would we like to face the best? Why wouldn’t we?”

Wilkinson added she has complete faith her players will show they belong on the biggest stage and can surprise people.

“Yes, it is really challenging to get wins against some of these top teams, but you can’t get a better measure [of where you are at], and what an experience for my players,” she said.

“My players need to go against them to recognise how good they are and also for the world to know how good they are. Once you see my players up against the best then you can really start valuing them for the level that they are.

“This is a special group, and they want to compete against the best of the best.”

With Wales going into the 16-team tournament as the lowest ranked team and still finding their way at the elite level of international football, Wilkinson hopes that her team will surprise a few this summer.

“At least one of our players will surprise people at the Euros. It’s not even a question,” Wilkinson asserted.

“Rankings are one measure of a team, but I think what people will realise is that Wales is a sporting nation, and equally the passion and the desire to play for themselves, their families and their country is unparalleled.

“I am sure people will be looking up Wales on a map very soon.”

More than 2,000 fans are expected to be in the Red Wall for each match of what will be a momentous occasion for Welsh women’s football.

“The fanbase show up, they show up and they show up in good voice as well,” Wilkinson added.

“As a Canadian, we are very polite and [there is] a little clap now and again. To hear that Red Wall, that voice, the anthem, in those lulls in the game how everybody’s invested in trying to support the team.”

While her players have the prospect of the biggest week of their lives just over the horizon, Wilkinson is keen for her squad to stay in the moment and enjoy themselves at the EUROs.

“The players have done the training, they’ve done the hard work and now it’s just around the corner,” she finished.

“It is exciting because there’s an unknown, but also this is what we’ve been waiting for, so we’ve got to make sure we enjoy the journey.”

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