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Brennan Johnson scored the winner when Spurs defeated Man Utd 1-0 in this years Europa League final. The 24-year-old Welsh international has 35 caps to his name. He is putting his country on the football map. He is part of the next generation of welsh players coming through.
Johnson is born in Nottingham, England. He represented England at U.16 and U.17 level before switching to become a player to represent Wales, first at U.19 and U.21 level, before getting his full international debut in a 0-0 draw vs. USA in 2020.
The Gareth Bale post generation of players will have a major point to prove. The legacy of this special icon in Welsh football, will be difficult to follow. Bale played 111 times for Wales, scoring 41 goals. He took Wales to a level few believed was possible. During the days of Gareth Bale, Wales qualified for Euro’s and World Cup’s. Wales became a force in international football with Gareth Bale as a front figure.
Craig Bellamy has taken over as manager, following a path and route from league football. He was latest at Burnley under the stewardship of Vincent Kompany. Bellamy (45) had a grand player career himself, representing Liverpool, Man City and Celtic among his clubs. He also played 78 times for Wales, scoring 19 goals.
Wales are not in any type of crisis post Gareth Bale, being promoted to Nations League top tier. The Dragons have progressed with a new generation of players coming through. But still places in this Wales squad for mature and experienced players.
Craig Bellamy knows his limits very well regarding selection. He follows the route of previous managers. He picks a squad he believes will play for him with their heart and soul. No matter what their situation is like at club level.
Goalkeeper Danny Ward is a great example. He has played 44 times for his country. Despite this, he has struggled to get games at the club level with Leicester. He has not been out on loan to play. However, he still deliver to the highest standard when called on for national duty.
Aaron Ramsey is still selectable at the age of 34. He is back at Cardiff after a long period of time with Arsenal, later playing for Juventus and Rangers. Wes Burns, Joe Allen, Ben Davies, Karl Darlow and Kieffer Moore are others in their 30’s. They have all good presence in the Wales squad.
Leeds, who were promoted back to Premier League this season, do have a number players waving the Wales flag. Ethan Ampadu is one great example. The 24-year-old can operate in midfield. He can also play as a central defender. He has already passed 54 caps for his nation. Fulham midfielder Harry Wilson is 28, he is a very important player for Craig Bellamy.
Charlie Savage (Reading), Charlie Crew (Doncaster), Luke Harris (Birmingham), and Rabbi Matondo (Hannover) are promising young players. They are all below the age of 25 and are challenging for starting positions.
Will be exciting to follow the progress we certainly believe will be happening going forward. Craig Bellamy is an untraditional type of manager, but still his results so far looks phenomenal.
Starting the week in the gym 🏋️@rabbi_matondo 💪 pic.twitter.com/b0D9U45YYt
— Wales 🏴 (@Cymru) March 17, 2025
Not many players representing Wales have appeared in a European cup final. Even fewer have ended up with a winners medal. Spurs did the remarkable with Ben Davies and Brennan Johnson being in their squad in this seasons Europa League final.
In 1985, Everton won the European Cup Winners Cup. You can count Neville Southall, Kevin Ratcliffe, and Pat Van Den Hauwe in this exclusive club of players. Mark Hughes and Clayton Blackmore were in the Man Utd team that defeated Barcelona in the 1991 final. John Hartson played the final for Arsenal in 1995 but it ended in defeat to Real Zaragoza. Mark Hughes won his second European Cup Winners Medal with Chelsea when they defeated Stuttgart 1-0 in the 1998 final. Hughes was on this occasion an unused sub. Cliff Jones was in the Spurs team, winning 5-1 vs. Atletico Madrid in 1963.
Ian Rush played for Liverpool when they won this tournament in 1984, defeating Roma on penalties, where Rush scored. Terry Yorath appeared for Leeds in the 1975 European Cup final. He also played in the 1972 European Cup Winners’ Cup final. However, he ended as a runner-up on both occasions. Joey Jones played for Liverpool in 1977 when they defeated Borussia Monchengladbach. He was also part of the group that won the same tournament a year later defeating Brugge. Then an unused sub, but of course winning a medal to become a European Cup winner twice. Ian Rush played for Liverpool in Roma vs. Roma in 1984 scoring in the penalty shoot outs, ending in a 4-2 win. Ryan Giggs was in the Man Utd line up. They defeated Bayern Munich 2-1 in that special 1999 Champions League final. Craig Bellamy was an unused sub for Liverpool in the 2007 final, defeated 2-1 by AC Milan. In 2008 Ryan Giggs picked up his 2nd winners medal in Champions League when Man Utd defeated Chelsea on penalties. He also appeared in the 2011 final vs. Barcelona, again picking up the runners-up medal, seeing a 3-1 defeat.
Mike England was in the Spurs team, winning the 1972 UEFA Cup final. Gary Sprake was Leeds goalkeeper in the 1968 and 1971 finals of the Inter City Fairs Cup. He picked up winner medals on both occasions. He also appeared in the 1967 final, ending in defeat vs. Dinamo Zagreb. Ollie Burton and Wyn Davies were two Newcastle heroes in the 1969 final, winning 6-2 vs. Újpesti Dózsa. Terry Hennessey, Jimmy Singer and Bryan Orritt were in the Birmingham team, ending runners-up to Roma in 1961. Orritt also appeared in the final a year earlier, then vs. Barcelona, defeated but another Welsh medal in Europe. Jack Kelsey played in both games of the 1958 final. He represented a rare and special team mixed up by players from different London clubs. London XI met Barcelona. They managed a draw at home in a game played at Stamford Bridge. However, a terrible 0-6 away defeat made it a Barca win. Dave Bowen and Terry Medwin were to Welsh dragons being on the field in that sad away affair.
One not to forget is John Toshack. He represented Liverpool in many European games. He earned winner medals from the Europa Cup in 1977. He was also part of the winning UEFA Cup sides in 1973 and 1976.
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