Wales free agents showcase talent in World Cup qualifying
Short overview
Wales head coach Rhian Wilkinson says free-agent internationals Gemma Evans, Hannah Cain, and Elise Hughes have showcased their abilities during World Cup qualifying.
Wales head coach Rhian Wilkinson has praised her free-agent internationals for putting themselves in the shop window after helping the team finish top of their Women's World Cup qualifying group. Gemma Evans, Hannah Cain, and Elise Hughes all featured against Montenegro and the Czech Republic amid uncertainty over their club futures.
It has since emerged that defender Evans is in line to join Newcastle United after leaving Liverpool, but there is no news yet on the club futures of Cain or fellow forward Hughes. "I think they've done everything they can to put themselves in the shop window," Wilkinson said.
Free agents shine on international stage
Cain, 27, scored her sixth goal in six World Cup qualifying games in Montenegro, just three days after announcing she is leaving Leicester City this summer following their relegation from the Women's Super League (WSL). Fellow striker Hughes, 25, revealed in the lead-up to Tuesday's crucial win over the Czech Republic that she is departing Crystal Palace after helping them win promotion to the WSL.
Another Wales forward, Tianna Teisar, is also currently without a club. Bristol City Women announced in May that the 20-year-old academy product would be leaving the club this summer, having spent last season on loan at Plymouth Argyle.
Wilkinson accepts uncertainty as part of the season's end
Wilkinson says she has to accept that waiting to discover where some members of her squad will end up is part of "life at the end of the season." "It's tough because I want my players to be in the best possible situations at club [level] and equally in situations that are nurturing them and supporting them," she added. "I hope very much I can give them any support possible to make sure that they have a club as soon as it works for them."
Wales look ahead to World Cup play-offs
Wales will return to action in October, when they will play a two-legged play-off semi-final as they bid to reach a first Women's World Cup. Wilkinson's side will discover their opponents in that tie when the draw takes place on 18 June.
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