IIt was the explosion that sparked Wales’ 4-1 victory over Finland and another enthralling night under the Cardiff lights. With a few minutes to go, Harry Wilson received the ball on the left about 30 yards from goal and hit a pass with the outside of his left foot to Brennan Johnson. Looking for a one-two, Wilson charged past five blue shirts, picked up the baton around the box, and beat another one, Matti Peltola, before firing a further shot. His arcing motion quickened his heartbeat and eased the inevitable anxiety in the stands.
David Brooks pounced on the rebound and volleyed home, and although it wasn’t entirely easy from there, it went a long way to ensuring Wales had another impressive night on the calendar. On Tuesday, they will face Poland in a winner-take-all play-off final to qualify for Euro 2024 in Germany. The sharp, instinctive link-up play between Wilson, Johnson and Brooks also spoke to the noise Rob Page has made about the new Wales team in recent months. Wilson’s sprint embodied the dynamism, enthusiasm and unpredictability that the Wales manager admitted was lacking in their calm exit in the group stage at the Qatar World Cup. Page believes this young group is healthy and gamers, and he doesn’t disagree.
There was no doubting Wilson’s talent. He made his Belgian debut at the age of 16 years and 207 days, becoming Wales’ youngest player, and was highly regarded by Liverpool, who had joined him at the age of eight. A fulfilling loan to Hull and a derby in the Championship increased his interest in the Premier League. However, after a season in the top flight with Bournemouth, it became clear that he would not break out at Anfield and he spent the next two seasons on loan in the second division, with Cardiff and then Fulham, before signing on permanently. I joined.
If it looks like Wilson has finally settled on Fulham, he has his sights set on a home in Wales. His double contributed to the impressive win against Croatia last October and he continues to evolve, with Thursday’s Man of the Match award providing the latest convincing evidence. . Wilson chased down Robert Ivanov from the start, a sign that Wales intended to damage Finland with their speed and direct running. Wilson has played as a number nine and attacking midfielder for his country, but he started on the left wing, where Gareth Bale was once reserved for his magic. Page accepts that Bale’s retirement has allowed bit-part players to step out of the shadows.
“Harry loves to put the ball in the pocket,” Page says. “There’s no defense in Europe that we want to play against them because we’re a threat with Brennan’s pace, the constant threat of Brennan, the intelligence of David Brooks. All three of them like the way we’re playing right now. H has played a similar role for Fulham consistently in the Premier League. They play with a smile on their faces.”
The Welshman’s focus has shifted to the point where Wilson, who turned 27 on Friday, becomes the second oldest outfielder in the starting XI after Ben Davies. The 30-year-old Tottenham defender is one of the few remaining players in the team that enjoyed an extraordinary game-changing run to the semi-finals at Euro 2016, having played under Chris Coleman during that period. The other player is 33-year-old Aaron Ramsey. There’s the aging captain who has been pushed to the limit due to fitness issues, and the 37-year-old Wayne Hennessy, whose goalkeeper was sent off for slapping Iran’s Mehdi Taremi in Wales’ last game and was knocked out of a costly World Cup. defeat.
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Wilson replaced Bale on the night Wales defeated Ukraine in the final play-off final to qualify for the World Cup. He featured exclusively as a substitute at the postponed Euro 2020, but his frustration was compounded when he was sent off as Wales succumbed to Denmark. Jordan James, 19, the team’s youngest and handsome midfielder, watched the game unfold from his home with his parents. Five years ago, Wilson was among the 10,000 red walls in the stands at Stade de Bordeaux when Bale and Hal Robson-Kanu scored to beat Slovakia in the opening game of Euro 2016. He is currently being coveted by the Welsh team as they aim to win their third successive Euro and qualify for their fourth major tournament in five.
