Cardiff City youngster Dylan Lawlor made his international debut last night and he was superb
Dylan Lawlor(Image: Nikola Krstic/MB Media/Getty Images)
After a fairly flawless Wales performance against Kazakhstan, 19-year-old Dylan Lawlor has received warm plaudits from legends of Welsh football, including manager Craig Bellamy.
The Cardiff City centre-half made his debut for the Wales senior side yesterday in an assured defensive display, as Lawlor walked away with a clean sheet and man-of-the-match performance which has definitely caught the attention of Welsh fans.
After the match, Wales boss Bellamy was full of praise for the man from Caerphilly.
He said: “I was so impressed with Dylan Lawlor. He was so good.
“We knew it would be hard with the squad withdrawals. Dylan is a big plus from this week… we have gained a player.”
Bellamy hasn't been the only manager to be praise Lawlor’s recent performances, with Cardiff boss Brian Barry-Murphy also thinking very highly of the teen, as his club tied him down to a new deal. Join the Cardiff City breaking news and top stories WhatsApp community.
Barry-Murphy said before it was secured: “I just make my feelings clear to the ownership about how important he is to the club, how we value him and where we see him for the future, and they take care of the rest.”
The emergence of Lawlor has been a real positive among a plethora of green shoots at Cardiff City Stadium so far this season.
And after his performance away in Kazakhstan, former Wales striker Iwan Roberts doesn’t think the talented centre-back will be playing for the Bluebirds for much longer though, despite only making 10 senior appearances for club and country so far.
Roberts said: “He won’t be in League One long.
“He will play in the Premier League. He will have caught eyes with his performances.
“He keeps on getting better. It was a magnificent debut.”
The performance earned Lawlor a lot of praise from some of Wales’ 2016 Euro stars too, including fellow centre-back Ashley Williams, Joe Ledley and Sam Vokes.
On BBC Match of the Day, Williams said: “I think we’ll see a lot more of him in the next few games because he’s definitely a Craig Bellamy-type of player.”
Ledley added: “I thought he was magnificent. The way he conducted himself, it’s like he’s been in the team for many years.”
Vokes said: “He didn’t look fazed one bit. To go out there at 19 years old on his debut is a tough ask, but he can hold his head high.”
Ex-Cardiff and Wales defender Danny Gabbidon also gave his thoughts on Lawlor’s performance, suggesting that the youngster could get better every time he is given an opportunity.
Gabbidon said: “You obviously look at what happened to Cardiff City last season, and it was a difficult time for the club, but sometimes there’s a bit of sunshine after the rain and what we’ve seen is a lot of young players kind of been giving the opportunity this season and Dylan’s one of them.
“He’s still young and he’s only going to get better, you see how well he performed against Kazakhstan, and he’s that type of player you see step to the next challenge, and it just seems really comfortable and easy for them.
“There’s still a lot to learn, but I’ve been really impressed with what I’ve seen from him so far.”
Lawlor could be given another chance to show Welsh fans his potential, with Bellamy’s side taking on Canada on Tuesday night in Swansea, though he will have to wait if he wants more World Cup qualifying action, with Wales’ next tie against Belgium taking place during the October window.
Wales will then play Liechtenstein and North Macedonia as their final two games in Group J, in a final push towards World Cup qualification next summer.