Rob Page has named his Wales team for the UEFA Nations League, but he can still call up a raft of players yet to declare for the World Cup – including Charlie Savage and Karl Darlow.
Cymru qualified for their first World Cup finals in 64 years with a 1-0 win against Ukraine in the UEFA Path A play-off final in June. The Dragons have not played at the Fifa tournament since the 1958 edition, but will head to Qatar to face England, Iran and the USA in Group B.
Wales reached the quarter-finals in their only previous appearance at a World Cup finals at Sweden 1958. Cymru would lose the knockout match 1-0 to Brazil, who went on to win the title for their first of a record five to date, after narrowly scraping through the group stage.
Page oversaw Wales’ successful bid to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and he has now agreed to a new contract taking him through to the 2026 edition in the United States, Mexico and Canada – plus Euro 2024. He had been the interim boss since November 2020.
His first task as the permanent Dragons coach is avoiding finishing last in League A Group 4 when Wales face Belgium and Poland in the UEFA Nations League this month. Cymru will visit the Red Devils on September 22, before hosting Bialo-czerwoni in Cardiff on the 25th.
Page has named a 28-man team for the Nations League encounters, including a first senior call-up for 17-year-old Luke Harris. The Fulham product has represented Cymru at various youth levels already, and made his first-team Cottagers debut in the EFL Cup this August.
Harris will hope to use his maiden Dragons call-up to stake his claim for a seat on the plane to Qatar. But Page still has a host of other players, who are yet to declare for Wales or any national side, who could be of benefit for Cymru during the World Cup come November…
Charlie Savage can declare for Wales or England ahead of World Cup in Qatar
Carlie Savage may see Harris earning a senior call-up for the UEFA Nations League as a sign of encouragement for his chances in Page’s Wales plans. The Manchester United gem made a solid rise for Cymru at youth level during 2021 with his first U18 and U19s outings.
But the Dragons are still at risk of losing Savage to England, having been born in Leicester. Gareth Southgate could look to tempt the son of former Wales star Robbie Savage to opt for the Three Lions if Page does not bring the 19-year-old midfield anchor in anytime soon.
Breaking through at Old Trafford, after Manchester United overlooked loan interest in the Championship and League One this summer – per the Manchester Evening News, will add evidence to Savage’s argument for a senior place as Page weighs up his World Cup squad.
Rob Page could finally convince Karl Darlow to declare for Wales, not England
Page has named Wayne Hennessey, Danny Ward and Tom King as his goalkeepers for the UEFA Nations League September fixtures. But Wales could add another Premier League-proven shot-stopper to their Qatar World Cup plans by convincing Karl Darlow to declare.
Reports by The Athletic last March claimed Darlow was close to giving up on his dream to represent England after Southgate snubbed him. The 31-year-old has previously rejected approaches from Wales in favour of the Three Lions, but last year’s snub opened the door.
Darlow is eligible to declare for Wales through his grandfather, Ken Leek, who was a part of the Cymru side at the 1958 World Cup. Now, the Northampton-born shot-stopper could follow in his relative’s footing with an England call-up unlikely while on Newcastle’s bench.
The goalkeeper is yet to feature in the Premier League so far this season, with Three Lions regular Nick Pope ahead in the Magpies’ pecking order. Darlow is also yet to earn a cap at any level with England or Wales, so any international career is likely hanging by a thread.
Wales could poach Jay Dasilva from England with senior international path
Wales could poach Jay Dasilva from the England set-up by offering the Bristol City left-back a path to senior international football. He has so far exclusively played for the Young Lions, with U16, U17, U18, U19, U20 and U21 caps, but made his last appearance in June 2019.
Now 24, Dasilva risks being left in the international wilderness by holding out hope for any future with England. But the Luton-born dynamo could switch allegiances and declare for Wales – as his younger brother, Cole Dasilva, opted to with caps for Cymru’s U17 to U21s.
Page could now look at Dasilva to offer an option on the left-hand channel in Qatar, with the Bristol City star a versatile threat. The former Chelsea prospect has featured in a more advanced role so far this term and has provided a creative presence in the Championship.
Elliot Thorpe could follow Luke Harris with senior Wales call-up
Elliot Thorpe is another rising Wales talent who may hope to soon follow Harris by earning a senior Wales call-up. The 21-year-old made his debut for the Dragons’ U21 side in March after four years without any international football, having last played at U19 level in 2018.
Leaving Tottenham Hotspur’s academy for Luton Town last summer helped Thorpe regain a place in the Wales set-up. He is now plying his trade on loan to Burton Albion in League One, and a prominent presence there could highlight the midfielder’s potential to Page.
But showcasing his potential at the Pirelli Stadium could put Thorpe on the radar of talent spotters for England. He was born in Hinchingbrooke, but uses his Welsh citizenship to play for Cymru at youth level. Thorpe is yet to play with England in any international age group.
Robbie Burton waiting for senior international promotion after youth career
Robbie Burton is waiting to earn his promotion to senior international football after caps at U17 to U21 level with Wales until 2020. The midfielder is also eligible to play for England after being born in Gravesend, but he has not yet featured at any level for the Three Lions.
Wales sought to see what potential Burton could bring to their youth teams whilst plying his trade in Arsenal’s academy. The 22-year-old first joined the Gunners back in 2005 and stayed until 2020, when Dinamo Zagreb offered the youngster a winter switch to Croatia.
Burton remains on the Stadion Maksimir outfit’s books today, but is spending the second half of the calendar year in Ireland on loan to Sligo Rovers. His spell at The Showgrounds has already given him a taste of European football in UEFA Conference League qualifiers.
Jordan James is deliberating international allegiance between England and Wales
Jordan James is deliberating his international allegiance between England and Wales after call-ups for both countries at youth level. The 18-year-old first featured in an international squad with Cymru’s U16s before he stepped up to the Dragons’ U18 ranks last September.
England are now trying to tempt the Birmingham City talent to switch his consideration to the country of his birth. The Hereford native made his Young Lions bow with two games at the U20 Elite League in March. But both of his appearances were as a very late substitute.
So, Page could look to convince James to declare for Wales and be a part of his plans at the World Cup in Qatar to edge England’s hopes. The midfielder is already playing regularly in the Championship with Birmingham as the Second City outfit’s deep-lying central option.
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