Cymru have confirmed the appointment of former Canada international Rhian Wilkinson as their new Head Coach, having put pen to paper on a three-year deal with the FAW.
‘It’s an incredible honour to be taking on the role of Cymru head coach,’ she said, as news broke of her appointment. Wilkinson will be in attendance as Cymru face the Republic of Ireland at Dublin’s Tallaght Stadium on Tuesday, though interim manager Jon Grey will lead the team for the first and final time.
Wilkinson enjoyed a successful playing career, winning 183 caps for Canada and picking up two Olympic bronze medals along the way. The 41-year-old retired from playing in 2017, going on to take assistant roles with Canada, England and Team GB before securing her first Head Coach role with the NWSL’s Portland Thorns.
Embed from Getty ImagesShe oversaw the club’s triumph in the 2022 NWSL Championship, but left the club in December that year after she was accused of an alleged relationship with a Portland Thorns player. Wilkinson was cleared of any wrongdoing but felt it was untenable to continue her role with the club.
Wilkinson, who lived in Wales as a child and has a Welsh mother, said that the Cymru team ‘has gone from strength to strength in the last few years and I aim to build on that with our mission to qualify for next summer’s EUROs and beyond.’
Cymru will find out their opponents on the path to next summer’s EURO2025 tournament on March 5, with the competition set to take place in Switzerland. The FAW’s Chief Football Officer, David Adams, said: ‘Rhian’s appointment puts us in the best place possible for qualification to next summer’s Euros and the period beyond.’
