Boss Rhian Wilkinson refuses to let Jess Fishlock discuss her Wales future

Wales manager Rhian Wilkinson has taken Jess Fishlock’s international future “off the table” by refusing to discuss what lies ahead for the veteran midfielder after the Euro 2025 play-off showdown with Slovakia.

Fishlock, Wales’ most celebrated female player, will make her 156th appearance – a Dragons record – as Wales seek to overturn a 2-1 semi-final first-leg deficit in Cardiff on Tuesday.

Wilkinson confirmed Fishlock will start after injury but refused to allow the 37-year-old Seattle Reign midfielder to answer a question about her Wales future, interjecting when sitting alongside her at the pre-match press conference.

‘Legendary’

Wilkinson said: “I think it’s an obvious question to ask of our legendary players when they are getting to an age that’s closer to retirement than their debut.

“Jess is one of the best players to ever play for Wales.

“So to ask her when that career will end, especially when these games are coming up, I’m just going to take that off the table for her because it’s a critical game.

“Jess could play well into her forties. It is a personal decision when you stop playing, a very personal one, it involves the player and also their family.

“It takes a lot of context, so I don’t think it’s fair to answer that right now because we have such an important game.”

Knee injury

Fishlock had her first minutes in Slovakia on Friday since suffering a knee injury at the start of September.

She came on as a 64th-minute substitute and dragged Wales back into a contest that was fast getting away from them.

Wilkinson labelled them “unrecognisable” from the team that had been unbeaten in her previous six games, but Fishlock set up Ffion Morgan’s late strike with a delightful pass.

Fishlock said: “I am as ready as ever to do what I can for this country, as I have done for the last almost 20 years now.

“Honestly, I don’t think we need to be chasing anything.

“We are one goal down at this point and there’s 90 minutes of play, so we don’t need to panic. I believe we have got the squad to do what we need.”

Fishlock’s career has brought two Champions League titles as well as domestic honours in Australia, France, Netherlands and the United States.

But there is an obvious omission on her stellar CV, playing at a major tournament for Wales.

Fishlock said: “Getting to a major tournament with your country is by far the biggest pinnacle of a career.

“It’s something you’ll always strive and dream for. This would be the most amazing thing and I think the whole of Wales is saying that.”

Wales or Slovakia are likely to play the Republic of Ireland in the play-off final later this year.

The Republic host Georgia on Tuesday with a 6-0 lead from the first leg.