Nations League: Hayley Ladd ‘honoured’ to be on brink of 100 Wales caps

Ladd, a student of the game who many – including current Wales boss Rhian Wilkinson – expect to pursue a career as manager once she retires, was a school student when she made her Wales debut, combining football with her A level studies.

Ladd’s debut, in a friendly against New Zealand, saw her come on for another member of the 100-cap club, striker Helen Ward, or Helen Lander as she was then.

Those were the days of the Wales women’s side being an afterthought, wearing men’s kits playing in ramshackle stadia in front of small crowds.

It is a far cry from the professional set-up that has seen Wales qualify for Euro 2025.

Ladd started her career in Arsenal’s academy before spells with Coventry, Bristol Academy/City and Birmingham City, while she also had a short stint playing in Finland.

It is fair to say that during those early years of Ladd’s career, the idea of reaching 100 caps was fairly far from her thoughts.

“Things are much less of a battle than they were 14 years ago, that’s just the reality of where the sport was then,” she said.

“We hope to continue to push the game forward, but it is so much more enjoyable to be part of the sport when people are behind it and trying to grow the visibility.

“It is good to take stock at the fact we now wear our own kit and feel supported. But [women’s] football was banned in England for 50 years… there is still a lot of making up to do.

“We think about the previous generations who were trailblazers and never got the rewards. We’ve enjoyed the fruits of that and hopefully for the next generation the progress will be a step further still.”