Wales boss jokes Sophie Ingle made her ‘look foolish' in training before being named in Women's Euros squad
RHIAN WILKINSON joked Sophie Ingle caused her minor embarrassment in a training session as Wales ramped up their Euros preparations.
The ex-Chelsea star, 33, has defied the odds to make it into Wilkinson's 23-strong group despite being crocked for all of last term.
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Sophie Inglehas been included in Wales' squad with the team to compete in a Euros for the first time this summer
Credit: Getty
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Wales head coach Rhian Wilkinson marked the announcement of her squad for the Euros by walking to the summit of Yr Wyddfa (also known as Mount Snowdon)
Credit: PA
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Veteran playmaker Jess Fishlock who is Wales' most capped international player is one of seven midfielders included in their Euros squad
Credit: Sportsfile
While Ingle brings considerable international experience, the 141-capped midfielder has not played a game since rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament last September.
The
Her return to the international squad comes less than two weeks ahead of them competing in a Euros for the first time ever.
Head coach Wilkinson, 43, said: "Sophie made me look foolish on Wednesday, I should never jump into training anymore, it's not good for my ego!
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"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."
"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 straight into the squad."
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Wilkinson was speaking earlier today after naming her Euros squad ahead of Wales' major tournament debut next month.
Ingle, who has 141 caps, is one of four Wales centurions included in the group.
Playmaker Jess Fishlock, 38, Hayley Ladd, 31, and skipper Angharad James-Turner, 31, are the other three in a squad who will battle Holland , France and holders England in the group stage.
When asked what role she expects Ingle to play, Wilkinson added 'I don't want to get into that specifically because Sophie's pushing, she's looking really good in training.'
With Wales competing in a group with two Euros-winning sides, they will face a fierce battle to reach the European Championship knockouts.
But striker Elise Hughes insists the Group D underdogs will be looking to win their clashes against three of the top ten national sides.
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Elise Hughes insists Wales will be looking to test the resolve of their rivals group stage rivals England, France and the Netherlands
Credit: Getty
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"We're definitely there to compete and we're definitely there to win games as well.
"We're not just there to enjoy the summer, but hopefully we do enjoy this summer and we go as far as possible."
Wales Squad - 2025 Women's Euros
Goalkeepers
Olivia Clark (Leicester City), Poppy Soper (Blackburn Rovers), Safia Middleton-Patel (Manchester United)
Defenders
Charlie Estcourt (DC Power), Gemma Evans (Liverpool), Josie Green (Crystal Palace), Hayley Ladd (Everton), Esther Morgan (Heart of Midlothian), Ella Powell (Bristol City), Rhiannon Roberts (Real Betis), Lily Woodham (Seattle Reign).
Midfielders
Jess Fishlock (Seattle Reign), Alice Griffiths (Southampton), Ceri Holland (Liverpool), Sophie Ingle (without club), Angharad James (Seattle Reign), Lois Joel (Newcastle United), Rachel Rowe (Southampton)
Forwards
Kayleigh Barton (Charlton), Hannah Cain (Leicester), Elise Hughes (Crystal Palace), Carrie Jones (IFK Norrköping), Ffion Morgan (Bristol City)
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And obviously there have been advancements in things like sports psychology since my playing days which encourage players to be more level, more process-driven. But at the time, having missed out on the Test team, I felt like I'd failed.' Cusiter narrowly missed out on a place in the matchday squad for the second All Blacks game in Wellington. With likely Test starter Dwayne Peel carrying a niggle, the Scotsman was taken off at half-time in a midweek obliteration of Manawatu to ensure his availability. Peel, though, was ultimately ruled fit on the eve of the Test, with English World Cup winner Matt Dawson backing him up from the bench. 'It didn't really matter for me,' Cusiter says. 'I just loved the experience, playing with all of those guys. That was everything for me. 'I think at that time, I was 23, and I thought all being well, I could get on another one or maybe even another two if I continued to play well. But y'know, for me, life didn't work out that way. That was my only tour. 'I never thought I'd get to that level in the first place', says Cusiter, who these days runs an alcohol retail business in California, where he moved shortly after finishing his career with Sale Sharks in 2016. 'I'm extremely proud looking back 20 years later that I had that experience of touring with the Lions, which is a very rare thing. 'I remember seeing a few guys in the years since talking about how disappointed they were in the whole experience. I don't feel like that at all. I have nothing but fond memories.' Time has been a healer for Owen — director of rugby at Hailebury College in Hertfordshire, England, for the last 12 years — who these days views the summer of 2005 through the same lens as his one-time teammate. 'Now, I just think, 'Wow. How amazing is it to have gone on a Lions tour? How amazing is it to have been a part of this thing?'' he says. 'I retired earlier than I wanted to and if you had said to me when I was 18, 'This is what you're going to do in your career,' I would have been like…' Owen pauses for a second, then breaks into a laugh. ''Thank you!'' 'I can still say that I played in six or seven matches for the Lions, which is pretty special. I'll take it.'
