Wales, which in its entire history has qualified only once for the football World Cup and twice for the UEFA European Cup, has never been considered a major force in world football. However, in recent years, the British nation has enjoyed increasing fame.
The FIFA dragon ranking skyrocketed from 117th place in 2011 to 8th in 2015, the largest increase in the history of FIFA world rankings. Currently, the Welsh are ranked 17th in the world according to the FIFA version.
Welsh teams past and present have always been furious patriots, with exceptional talent among the hard-working group. For every Giggs, the Welsh had the next Bale in line.
So here are the top 5 players who represented Wales:
1. Gareth Bale
Position: Forward
Caps: 90
Goals: 33
Wales’ top scorer in history, Gareth Bale, is also the most talented player his country has produced in this century. Bale made his international debut in May 2006 at the age of just 16, demonstrating his potential at a terribly young age. At that time, the Welshman hardly played football for the first team, having played only 2 matches for the English Southampton.
In 2006, he became the youngest goalscorer in the history of Wales, scoring a free goal against Slovakia. Originally, Bale was a left-back, but by the time Wales qualified for Euro 2016, he had become one of the most furious wingers in football. Since his national team participated in its first Eurocup, Bale played an important role in this important event.
Playing as a striker alongside several teammates, Bale scored 3 goals in 6 matches, including one against England, and his performances took Wales out of the group stage and reached the semifinals of the tournament, a memorable moment for his country. This performance made Bale the top scorer of his country in all appearances at major tournaments. His shot also led to an own goal that took Wales to the semifinals of the Euro-16.
At his peak, Bale was athletic and fast, with a fantastic left-leg technique. Throughout his career he became a goal specialist, scoring 2 goals in a major tournament for the Welsh national team. In the last years of his life, Bale has become a more intelligent player, with constant anticipation and movement off the ball in space. He is currently the captain of the Wales national team.
2. Chris Gunter
Position: Full Defender
Caps: 100
Goals: 0
Chris Gunther, the most capped Welsh player and the only player to have played 100 games for the Dragons, has a hard time believing he’s only 31. However, the Welshman started his international career early. At the age of 16, Gunther had already been an international with the Wales national under-21 football team, becoming the 2nd youngest player to do so.
For a year, the right-back was recruited to the main squad, debuting in May 2007 after his first full professional season with the Welsh team Cardiff City. Gunther became a regular player of the Welsh team for more than a decade, playing at least 5 matches a year. By the time Euro 2016 started, he was already in the starting lineup.
Gunter played every minute at the Euros as Wales advanced to the semi-finals of the tournament, keeping two clean sheets along the way. By the age of 27 he already had 75 caps. A reliable attacking midfielder capable of playing on both flanks, Gunther often leads the Wales team in the absence of Gareth Bale.
3. Ivor Allchurch
Position: Inward Forward
Caps: 68
Goals: 23
Allchurch was first called up to the senior team in November 1950 at the age of 21, 3 years after starting his professional career when playing for Welsh Club Swansea City AFC. The prolific striker remained a regular until the 1958 FIFA World Cup, Wales’ first appearance at a World Cup. Allchurch helped secure qualification by scoring a goal in both playoff matches against Israel.
At the tournament held in Sweden, Allchurch was one of the first players on the team list, starting all 5 of Wales’ games since the British nation reached QFs at their first attempt. The striker also scored 2 goals in the tournament, which made him the top scorer of his team at the U-58 World Cup.
His last cap appeared in 1966, when he was 35 years old. Playing right behind the striker, Allchurch moved perfectly around the box, had impeccable technique and was deadly left-footed. He is Swansea City’s all-time top scorer with 166 goals, 51 more than the next best player. Allchurch also ranks sixth on his list of all-time performances. There is a statue of him at Swansea Stadium.
4. Ian Rush
Position: Forward
Caps: 73
Goals: 28
One of the greatest goalscorers of the twentieth century, Ian Rush made his international debut in May 1980, when he was only 18 years old. At that time, the striker was playing only in the third division of English football (today the Second league).
Although Rush never played for his country in major international tournaments, however, he became a more integral part of the national team when he started playing for the English Club Liverpool. The Welshman also did not deceive expectations by scoring winning goals in important matches against teams such as Italy, Germany, France and Scotland.
Rush also made a brace in the match against Spain and scored a goal against England. A poacher with an innate ability to sniff out the odds, Rush was Wales’ all-time top scorer until 2018, when Gareth Bale surpassed him. He still ranks second on the list after his 16-year international career. Rush is also Liverpool’s all-time top scorer with 346 goals. His last cap was released in 1996 at the age of 35.
5. Aaron Ramsey
Position: Central Midfielder
Caps: 61
Goals: 16
The most talented Welsh player of this century, without the name Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey never hit the headlines as often as his Welsh colleague when he played for the Dragons. However, Ramsey has still made an impressive international career for himself. The midfielder received his first call-up to the senior team in October 2008, at the age of 17, in the midst of his second season as a professional for the Welsh Club Cardiff City.
At the age of 20, Ramsey was the captain of his country, becoming the youngest Wales captain in history. Although he was replaced 18 months later due to the team’s poor form, the manager clearly showed the right mentality to initially deserve it. In 2016, Ramsey became a regular face in the starting lineup, and as a result he was called up to the national team for the Eurocup.
In the competition held in France, the Welshman started 5 of his country’s 6 games and was one of the best players in Europe since Wales reached the SFS at their first attempt. At Euro 2016, Ramsey scored 5 goals (1 goal, 4 assists), the highest number of assists in the tournament. He was also included in the team of the tournament.
A full-fledged central midfielder, Ramsey is hardworking in all aspects of his game, but technically healthy, he has talent and endurance interconnected in his style. He is currently 30 years old and could certainly have played more matches with fewer injuries throughout his career, but Ramsey was still giving his country his full power when he needed it
