by Bryn Goodall & Adam Evans
WALES head coach Jayne Ludlow has announced her 20 player squad for the upcoming friendly against Czech Republic.
It includes 31 year old Loren Dykes who plays for Bristol City. She is currently one cap short of becoming only the second Welsh woman to achieve 100 caps for her country.
This would see her join veteran Jess Fishlock, the only other player who has reached the landmark; the Lyon forward has also been selected.
Ludlow referred to the game as a “special event, and a special event for one of our players in particular”. So it appears Ludlow is set to give Dykes her 100th cap.
“Anybody who amounts to that number of caps is somebody that we are really proud of and somebody that we really value,” added Ludlow.
USW graduate and Cardiff City Ladies’ Chloe Lloyd has been named for the first time since 2015. She has only recently recovered from an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Lloyd made her debut back in the 2014/15 season against Bosnia.
The FAW’s young player of the year, Elise Hughes has been recalled after she last played in the 3-0 defeat against England in the 2019 World Cup qualifiers
The experienced Sophie Ingle, Natasha Harding and Wales’ all-time top goal scorer Helen Ward are also included.
The game will be played at Newport’s Rodney Parade next Thursday (April 4) as Wales look towards their European qualifying campaign.
Wales squad: Laura O’Sullivan (Cardiff City Ladies FC), Olivia Clark (Nettleham Ladies FC), Sophie Ingle (Chelsea FC Women), Hayley Ladd (Birmingham City Women FC), Loren Dykes (Bristol City Women FC), Gemma Evans (Bristol City Women FC), Cori Williams (Cardiff City Ladies FC), Ffion Morgan (Cardiff City Ladies FC), Anna Filbey (Tottenham Hotspur Ladies FC), Chloe Lloyd(Cardiff City Ladies FC), Angharad James (Everton Ladies FC), Jess Fishlock (Olympique Lyonnais FC), Kylie Nolan (Cardiff City Ladies FC), Elise Hughes (Everton Ladies FC), Grace Horrell (Cardiff City Ladies FC), Megan Wynne (Tottenham Hotspur Ladies FC), Helen Ward (Watford FC Ladies), Kayleigh Green (Brighton & Hove Albion Women FC), Natasha Harding (Reading FC Women), Charlie Estcourt (Reading FC Women)
