Wales want Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey on board in a coaching capacity to inspire their next generation of goalkeepers.
Hennessey, whose 109-cap total is only bettered by Gareth Bale in the Wales men’s game, has been approached to link up with the Dragons’ under-21 set-up this summer. The 38-year-old signed a short-term deal with the Reds in January until the end of the season.
“I’ve already reached out to Wayne,” said Wales under-21 boss Matty Jones after naming his squad for this month’s friendly double-header against Andorra and Sweden in Valencia. “There was a change in our staffing group with Boaz (Myhill) as Tony Mowbray came in at West Brom and wanted him to be part of the senior team there.
“We’ve asked Wayne whether he would be interested and we’ll see whether that’s too early or not. But the experience he’s got is absolutely frightening in what he could offer our young keepers within the system.
“I would love to tap into Wayne and bring him in like I’ve done with Gareth (Bale) and Aaron (Ramsey). These players know how to make it at the top level of football and we’ve got to share that learning.”
Hennessey has not played a competitive game since representing his country in October 2023. However, he has been on the bench for Nuno Espirito Santo's Forest in recent weeks as back-up to No.1 Matz Sels, due to an injury to second-choice keeper Carlos Miguel.
Nuno also values the experience the Welshman has to offer. It is unlikely Hennessey will be offered a new deal at the City Ground but it could be that some kind of coaching role is also put on the table from the Reds.
When Hennessey signed his contract, Nuno said: “Wayne had a serious injury at the end of last season, to his Achilles. It was a tough moment for everyone.
“But he is a big part of things for us, within the small group that is our goalkeeper community.
“He has signed a contract, he is with us and it is a pleasure to have him around. He has experience and with the way he goes about things he is a really good person to have around. I am very happy.”
Should Forest keep Hennessey beyond the summer? Click HERE to have your say
Get breaking Forest news sent direct to your phone
Join our Nottingham Forest WhatsApp group and get the latest breaking news, interviews and opinion sent straight to your phone, plus matchday team news and live updates of all the action. Just click here and select ‘Join Community’ to get started. The only proviso is that you must have WhatsApp on your phone to participate. No one will be able to see your personal information and you will only receive messages from the NottinghamshireLive Reds writers.
We will not spam your WhatsApp feed with constant messages, but you will receive updates from us daily with the latest Reds stories. If you later decide to opt out, just go to the name at the top of your screen and click 'Exit Group'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. If you are curious, you can click here to read our Privacy Notice.