Our top stars need to be playing, insists Wilkinson

WALES boss Rhian Wilkinson vowed to seek out opportunities for her players after the “mind-blowing” experience of naming a Euro 2025 squad with five players out of contract.

- RACHEL STEINBERG

Wales - the lowest-ranked side in Switzerland - finished last and without a point in Group D, widely viewed as the competition's group of death, following their 6-1 loss to defending champions England, who qualified for the quarterfinals alongside France.

In order to address what Wilkinson feels is a “real fitness gap” between her major tournament debutants and top sides like England, the Canadian coach is adamant they need to be more involved at club level.

“An international programme can’t really do that,” said Wilkinson.

“We get them on a FIFA window for 10 days. So, my players have to be playing.

“| had five players out of contract here. It’s mind-blowing to me.

“Esther Morgan starts all our games, and she doesn’t have a club.

“It drives me wild. As a Canadian who was developed in the US, of course it's not the US’ priority to develop the Canadians. I look at some of my players, and it does frustrate me, you can tell.

“I've got to try to find them opportunities abroad, maybe in Scandinavia, maybe I can send them to North America, which is a tough challenge, but they have to be playing.

“That's the basic.”