WALES

It’s been 19 years since Jess Fishlock made her debut for Wales – now, at 38, she has helped them to their first ever major tournament. She tells FFT she’s eyeing a Euros record this summer to boot…

Words Richard Laverty

For a while, Jess Fishlock associated Switzerland only with heartbreak. In 2022, it was the scene of the biggest disappointment of her international career, as Wales lost a World Cup play-off in the 121st minute in Zurich, narrowly denying the midfielder a first ever appearance at a major tournament. Fishlock was 35 years old that night, and there was no guarantee that the opportunity would come again. This, despite a glittering club career that has taken her to play in eight different countries, claim trophies in five of them, and win the Champions League twice. Three years on, however, she is returning to Switzerland to fulfil her lifelong dream, at Euro 2025. She has waited 19 years for this moment, since her senior international debut in 2006. Back then, featuring at a major tournament looked a remote prospect. Wales didn’t even take part in qualifying for Euro 2005, then lost all eight group games in the final round of qualifying for Euro 2009, scoring once. Gradually, though, they drew closer. Their hopes of going to the 2019 World Cup ended in their final qualifier, losing a must-win clash to England after a near-flawless campaign, before the play-offs dashed their bid to reach the 2023 edition. This time, the play-offs were Wales’ gateway. Fishlock’s goal helped them to come from behind to defeat Slovakia, then they beat the Republic of Ireland 2-1 in Dublin to qualify for Euro 2025. Her happy return to Switzerland is rather fitting. “Do you know what? It really is,” smiles Fishlock, as she talks to FourFourTwo. “I said after we won the play-off – and I’ll keep repeating it, probably until I’m on my death bed – that I think the beauty of this group specifically got us over the line… I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the group was full of the older, more experienced players, but also 17 and 18-year-olds. “That’s testament to the work we’ve done as a group, pushing football at a grassroots level in Wales. The squad being full of players from my age down to teenagers really does encapsulate the journey we’ve been on.”