Jess Fishlock: ‘I’m 37, Euro qualifiers are probably my last campaign’

Jess Fishlock says Wales are determined to reach their first major finals in what is likely to be her final campaign.

But the Seattle Reign midfielder accepts her time as a Wales player may be coming to an end.

“I am 37 now and probably this is going to be my last campaign,” she said.

Fishlock considered quitting after Wales’ World Cup qualifying hopes were ended after a play-off defeat by Switzerland in October 2022.

“After the Switzerland game, I really thought about quitting, it was very hard. I tried to be strong for the squad when we were together.

“I went home and when I was with my family, my emotions took over and I broke down in tears to my mum.

“I told her ‘I can’t do it any more, I cannot go through this again’. My mum said ‘that’s OK’.

“In that moment I expected her to encourage me to carry on, but she gave me exactly what I needed.

“I went to bed, I woke up and when I woke up I was ready to go again.

“‘One more campaign’, that’s what I said when I woke up.”

Now under the leadership of Wilkinson following Gemma Grainger’s shock departure to manage Norway, Wales are bidding to recover from that World Cup play-off final heartache against Switzerland.

They face Croatia, Kosovo and Ukraine in group four of League B as they bid to qualify for the next Euros – which take place in Switzerland.

Fishlock, Wales’ most-capped player, believes the squad can use the pain of their World Cup play-off final defeat 18 months ago to fuel their ambition to qualify for a major tournament for the first time.

“Having reached the play-off final for a place at the last World Cup we know we have the ability and desire to qualify,” added Fishlock.

“We have had that feeling for the past few campaigns.

“I think ultimately our near misses for qualifying have helped us to grow as a squad, It drives you on because it hurt so much. It was such a hard thing to push through as a group.

“I guess when you have that feeling of utter devastation, you don’t really want to feel that again.

“This campaign now, you take that feeling from Switzerland and use it as extra motivation as you don’t want to feel it again.”