Jay Dasilva eyes Premier League promotion after World Cup heartbreak

Jay Dasilva hopes to ease his World Cup pain by helping Coventry reach the Premier League.

Dasilva started Wales’ two matches in the recent international window, including the World Cup play-off defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina on penalties that ended the Dragons’ hopes of playing in Canada, Mexico and the United States this summer.

But the 27-year-old left-back has no time to dwell on the disappointment, with Sky Bet Championship leaders Coventry close to ending a 25-year wait for top-flight football.

Frank Lampard’s Sky Blues are nine points ahead of Middlesbrough with seven games left and 11 clear of third-placed Ipswich, who have a game in hand.

“It is tough, a relentless schedule, but somehow you just get your head around it and get on with it,” Dasilva said ahead of Coventry’s home game against play-off chasing Derby on Good Friday.

“We’re in a good position and we’ve got a great opportunity. It’s a massive end to the season now and we’re so close.

“We’ve had a great season and we’ve put ourselves in a great position to get the job done.

“So that’s our main focus now. It’s massive for everyone in the city – the fans and the club – and we’re really looking forward to focusing on getting the job done.”

Luton-born Dasilva was capped by England at every level from under-16s to under-21s, representing the country over 60 times.

But he was eligible to represent Wales through his Pontypridd-born grandmother, and Tuesday’s 1-1 friendly draw against Northern Ireland in Cardiff took him onto nine caps.

Dasilva said: “I’m still quite new to the team and I’m getting more comfortable with each camp and each game.

“We’ve got to strive to be better, but it will be very painful watching the World Cup.

“Everyone’s disappointed and rightly so, but you can’t be too down and sad about it because there’s a lot to look forward to.

“The Nations League is our main focus now and everyone is looking to that later in the year.”