Wales' hopes of following their European Championship appearance by reaching a first World Cup have not been helped by the loss of Fishlock, the greatest female player in the history of the Welsh game. But while she feels Fishlock could still contribute on the pitch, Wilkinson says she has to accept her decision to stand down from Wales duty. "Jess is one of those players that could play for many more years and she knew that when she retired," Wilkinson said. "We had really good conversations and Jess is an all-in type person so she wouldn't say 'oh I'm good to go for another year'. In her mind if she's good to go, she's saying yes to a cycle, whether that's two or four years, and I don't think she felt like she had the energy to do that."

Source: BBC February 18, 2026 22:15 UTC