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15 Best Female Footballers From Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Therefore, the Wales national football team represents the country in international football. Whereby it is controlled by the Football Association of Wales. The Wales team has indeed both women’s and men’s teams, but in this article, we are most likely to focus on the best female footballers in Wales. The article is likely to consider females who have represented the country internationally and have also played in the FIFA Women’s world cup and UEFA. Therefore, here are some of the 15 best female footballers from Wales

1. Jessica Anne Fishlock

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Current Team: OL Region
Position: Midfielder
Jessica Anne is a Welsh professional footballer and a coach who plays midfielder for OL Reign and the Wales national team. She started her career by playing for Cardiff City Ladies F.C. where she made her debut for the senior at the age of 16 and also previously coached.

Some of the other teams that she has played for include; the Bristol Academy in England’s FA Women’s Super League, AZ Alkmaar in the Dutch, Eredivisie, Glasgow City in the Scottish Women’s Premier League, Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City in Australia’s W-League and also Bundesliga club FFC Frankfurt in Germany. In her coaching career, she coached Melbourne City to its second consecutive W-League Grand Final title on February 2017. On 5 April 2017, she became the first Welsh player to earn 100 caps for the nation and thus was named Welsh Footballer of the Year in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2019.

However, she has won numerous championships and regular-season titles including two consecutive Eredivisie Championships, two W-league regular season titles, two W-league Grand Final Championships, Scottish Women’s Premier League and Scottish Women’s Cup titles, and two consecutive NWSL Shield.

2. Sophie Ingle

Current team: Chelsea
Position: Defender/ Defensive Midfielder
Sophie Ingle plays for the FA WSL club Chelsea and is also the captain of the Wales national team. However, she is considered to be among the best female footballers in Wales.

She began her football career by playing for the boy’s team Vale Wanderers. At that time, she was prevented from playing with the boys beyond 12 years even though she tried to appeal to the Football Association of Wales.

Some of the teams that she previously represented include Bristol Academy, Cardiff City, and Liverpool. As a Welsh footballer, she plays either as a defender or defensive midfielder. In 2020, Ingle’s goal, which she scored against Arsenal was nominated for the FIFA Puskas Award.

Read Top 15 Players of the Switzerland Women’s Soccer Team

3. Helen Ward

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Helen Ward who is an international football striker, is recognized as the Welsh national team’s all-time record goal scorer with 44 goals. She started her career at the age of 14 years while playing for the Watford Ladies.

Whereby she was recognized for her prolific goal scorer skill and was also made the team captain.
Currently, she is playing for the Watford football club after spending her 3 seasons with Chelsea Ladies. In 2007, she played for the England Women’s national under 23 football team but in 2008 she decided to represent Wales.

4. Natasha Harding

Current Team: Aston Villa
Position: Forward, Fullback

Natasha Harding is popularly known for her wide or forward playing position. She is a Welsh footballer who plays for the Welsh national women’s team and Aston Villa in the FA WSL club. However, she began her career with Cardiff City and also played in the FA WSL for Bristol Academy and Manchester City.

In January 2007, Harding made her first team debut while playing Cardiff City where she won the 4-0 Welsh Women’s Cup quarter-final over Newport Strikers. That same year she represented the club in the 2007-08 UEFA Women’s Cup. Other teams that Harding has played for include Liverpool, Reading, and Wales.

She played for the Wales Under-19 team times in 2007-08. While playing for Wales she scored her first goal on 20th June 2012 in a UEFA Qualifying match against Israel at the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham. Harding played her 100th match for Wales in a 3-0 win over Kazakhstan in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification on 12th April 2022.

5. Lily Woodham

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Current Team: Reading
Position: Defender
Lily Woodham is a professional footballer at Welsh who plays for Reading in the FA Women’s Super League. She is known for her Left back position. Some of the teams that Woodham has played for include Bristol City. Together with Charlie Estcourt, they joined Charlton Athletic on loan for the season on 31st July 2019. However, Reading confirmed that Woodham had signed a two-year contract with the club on 7th July 2022.

6. Carrie Jones

Current Team: Leicester City
Position: Midfielder
Carrie Jones is well-known for being a Welsh footballer. She plays as a midfielder for the English Women’s Super League club Leicester City on loan. She also played for Manchester United and the Wales national team.

At the age of 15 in 2019 she made her international debut for Wales. Gwennan Harries described her as a well-composed player with two great, outstanding work ethics and a real team player.
Jones joined FA Women’s National League South team Cardiff City Ladies for the 2019-20 season, whereby she managed nine league appearances for the team and scored three goals.

Read Top 15 Players of Belgium Women’s Soccer Team

7. Elise Hughes

Current Team: Crystal Palace

Position: Forward
Elise Hughes is considered to be among the best female players in Wales. She is, however, known for being a Welsh footballer who plays as a forward for Crystal Palace in the FA Women’s Championship and the Welsh national team. Being the best footballer is indeed part of the family as her grandfather and father were both footballers.

At the age of 16 years, she made her first team debut for Everton in a 1-0 against Arsenal. During the group stage of the FA WSL Cup, Hughes scored her first goal in a derby win against Liverpool.  Hughes later on 4 th January 2020 joined Bristol City on loan until the season ended and then returned to Everton on 30 th January after suffering an ACL injury. Additionally, she made appearances for the Wales Women’s national football team at the under-16 and under-17 levels.

8. Loren Dykes

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Current Team: Cardiff City
Position: Right back
Loren Dykes is a football coach and a player. She is considered to be among the best female footballers in Wales. Dykes is an assistant coach for Bristol City and also a player for Cardiff City and the Wales Women’s national football team. However, she began her football career by playing as a winger or forward before she was converted into a full-back.

On 4 th April 2019, she won her 100th cap for Wales in a friendly match against Czech Republic. Also, Dykes has won about 17 caps and scored four goals for Wales at Under-19 level. Additionally, she has featured in the UEFA Women’s Cup with the Bluebirds and also played in the 2011 FA Women’s Cup final as a winger, later on, in the 2013 final she retrained as a right-back.

In July 20202, she announced that she would retire from playing club football and transition into a coaching career but would remain available for the selection for her national team. The same year she was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2020 New Year Honours for services to women’s football in Wales.

9. Esther Morgan

Current Team: Sunderland
Position: Defender
Esther Morgan is a well-known professional footballer in Wales. She plays for Sunderland on loan from Tottenham Hotspur of the Women’s Super League and the Wales national team. Morgan made her debut for Tottenham Hotspur at the age of 18 years on February 2021.

She signed a professional contract with Tottenham Hotspur on 20 th May 2021 due to her success in both her club and international debuts. While in February 2022, she was loaned to fellow FA WSL club Leicester City until the end of the season.

The same year on 13th September it was announced that Morgan was to join Coventry United on a year loan. Additionally, she has captained the under-19 team and played for numerous youth national teams.

10. Gemma Evans

Current Team: Reading
Position: Defender, Forward
Gemma Evans is a Welsh footballer, who plays for the Wales national team and Reading F.C Women in the WSL. Evans started playing football at the age of 10 for a local team named Ton  Gelli, later on at the age of 13 she was transferred to playing for an all-girl team Ferndale Fillies which was renamed to Cambrian.

From 2015 to 2017 she played for Cardiff City L.F.C and then joined FA WSL 1 side Yeovil Town on 6 September 2017. In her international career, she competed for Wales in the qualifying stages of the UEFA Women’s Euro 2016, and in 2017 she played in Wales’ 1-0 win over Kazakhstan and Bosnia and Herzegovina in UEFA Group 1 of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification. Additionally, Evans holds a degree from the University of South Wales.

11. Ffion Morgan

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Current Team: Bristol City
Position: Full-Back
Ffion Morgan is not only a Welsh footballer but also a bilingual who is able to speak both Welsh and English. Besides playing football, she also holds a UEFA B license in coaching. However, Morgan plays as a defender for Bristol City and Wales Women’s National Team. She started her career with Ammanford and Cardiff City and later on joined Coventry United in 2019. In 2017 she made her international debut for Wales. She has been capped for the Wales national team by appearing for the team during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying cycle.

12. Ella Powell

Current Team: Bristol City
Position: Defender, Forward
Ella Powell is considered to be among the best female footballers in Wales. She plays for Bristol City in the FA Women’s Championship and for the Wales national team. She made her debut for the Wales national team in the 1-0 friendly match against Portugal on 10th November 2018. Thus, made her first start for the senior team in the 13th November Match. In 2022-23 Powell received her FA Women’s Championship honors.

13. Kayleigh Green

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Current Team: Brighton & Hove Albion
Position: Forward
Kayleigh Green is a Welsh professional footballer who plays for the Wales national football and FA WSL 1 club Brighton & Hove Albion. Green started her football career by playing for Cardiff City before she joined Yeovil Town in 2016.

She joined Brighton  Hove Albion in 2018 after the contract with Yeovil expired. However, Green made her debut for the Wales Women’s national football team
in 2012 against Norway. Additionally, she was named in the Wales squad at the Cyprus Women’s Cup as a center-forward.

14. Rhiannon Roberts

Current Team: Liverpool
Position: Centre Back

Rhiannon Roberts is a Welsh Footballer who is well known for her defensive skills on the field. She plays for Liverpool in the Women’s Super League and the Wales national team.

Green joined Liverpool in July 2018 after spending her 5 seasons with the Belles and then later on in May 2021 she signed a new contract and secured a return to the Women’s Super League for the club two seasons in the second tier. In her international career, she has represented England Colleges and was also selected for Wales’ UEFA Women’s Euro 2017 qualifying match in Austria.

15. Olivia Clark

Current Team: Bristol City
Position: Goalkeeper
Olivia Clark is a Welsh professional footballer who plays for the Bristol City and Wales national team. She is well-known for her goalkeeping skills. Some of the clubs that she has played for include Nettleham, Huddersfield Town, and Coventry United. Additionally, Clark received her Championship for Bristol City in the 2022-23 season. She is therefore considered to be among the best female footballers
in Wales.