Fishlock to join Wales staff for opening qualifier
Jess Fishlock will join Rhian Wilkinson’s coaching staff for part of Wales’ international camp in March before leaving to fulfill her club commitments with Seattle Reign.
Welsh legend Fishlock, 39, retired from international football in October but signed a new one-year deal with National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) side Reign the following month.
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She will join her former international team-mates as a technical assistant for Wales’ first 2027 World Cup qualifier against the Czech Republic on Tuesday 3 March.
Fishlock will not be present for the second Group B1 match, against Montenegro in Llanelli four days later, due to Reign’s preparations for the new NWSL season, which begins later in the month.
“She’s obviously in pre-season with Seattle, so a big thank you to Seattle and their coach Laura Harvey for allowing us to borrow her for the start of this campaign,” Wales head coach Wilkinson said.
“She comes in as a technical assistant. I know as a former player turned coach, it’s quite a cliff jump. When players have days off, you don’t have any. Your day starts a lot earlier and ends a lot later.
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“Jess is still a Seattle player and she just retired from the national team, so she will have an easier time there. In that way, it’s slightly different from the other technical staff, but she will definitely bring a change.”
Wilkinson that she wanted Fishlock on her team for March camp.
Fishlock’s former teammate Kayleigh Barton, who worked with the Wales Under-17 team after retiring following Euro 2025, will also be involved in the senior squad.
“These are women who have given everything for their country and as our young players come through, I think the support from these players around the world is enormous,” added Wilkinson.
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“Similarly, Jess needs to see a little behind the curtain to be able to make her decisions about what she might want to do in the future, if she ever retires!”
The match against the Czech Republic, which will be played at Uherske Hradiste, is Wales’ first competitive match since Euro 2025, the first major women’s tournament in the country’s history.
Wales’ hopes of continuing their European Championship participation by reaching a first World Cup have not been helped by the loss of Fishlock, the greatest player in Welsh football history.
But although she believes Fishlock could still contribute on the pitch, Wilkinson says she must accept his decision to step down from Wales duties.
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“Look, Jess is one of those players who could play for many more years and she knew that when she retired,” Wilkinson said.
“It’s painful to know that she could probably still get on the pitch, but I also think it’s a great decision that she’s made while she’s healthy, strong and still fully capable of saying ‘OK, I want to focus on my club football at this point’.
“We’ve had some really good conversations and Jess is an all-in kind of person, so she wouldn’t say ‘oh, I’m ready to go another year’. In her mind, if she’s ready to go, she says yes to one cycle, whether it’s two or four years, and I don’t think she feels like she has the energy to do that.”
Laura Hughes helped Wales end a 12-match winless run with victory against Switzerland in Spain in December [FAW]
Wales begin their bid to reach the World Cup knowing there is no chance of automatic qualification as they are in League B.
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Assuming they do not finish bottom of a group that also includes Albania – which would be disastrous – Wales will advance to a play-off campaign in which they may have to jump through hoops to secure a place at the tournament, which will be held in Brazil.
Wilkinson has recalled fit-again Newcastle United player Lois Joel to his squad for the first two group games, but midfielder Laura Hughes is absent due to injury.
Hughes, who has previously been capped by Australia, made her Wales debut in the friendly win over Switzerland in December.
Wilkinson says she does not know the exact nature of Hughes’ injury but expects her to return for the double-header against Albania in April.
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There are three uncapped players in the squad: goalkeeper Poppy Soper and Plymouth Argyle duo Olivia Francis and Phoebie Poole.
Wales team
Olivia Clark (Leicester City), Safia Middleton-Patel (Manchester United), Poppy Soper (Rugby Borough), Ceri Holland (Liverpool), Gwen Zimmerman (Eclipse Select), Ella Powell (Bristol City), Rhiannon Roberts (Sunderland), Hayley Ladd (Everton), Gemma Evans (Liverpool), Charlie Estcourt (Portsmouth), Lily Woodham (Liverpool), Esther Morgan (Bristol City), Sophie Ingle (Bristol City), Mia Ross (Charlton Athletic), Angharad James (Seattle Reign), Lois Joel (Newcastle United), Carrie Jones (IFK Norrkoping), Tianna Teisar (Plymouth Argyle – on loan from Bristol City), Mared Griffiths (Sunderland – on loan from Manchester United), Olivia Francis (Plymouth Argyle), Phoebie Poole (Plymouth Argyle), Hannah Cain (Leicester City), Rachel Rowe. (Nottingham Forest), Ffion Morgan (West Ham United), Elise Hughes (Crystal Palace), Mary McAteer (Charlton Athletic).
