150-cap Wales Journey Trumps Club Highs - Ingle

ByGareth Vincent

BBC Sport Wales

Sophie Ingle says playing for Wales trumps thing she has achieved astatine nine level arsenic she prepares to triumph her 150th headdress successful Saturday's Women's World Cup qualifier successful Albania.

Wales are hoping for a repetition of Tuesday's comfortable 4-0 triumph complete nan Albanians arsenic they look to return a measurement person to nan 2027 tourney successful Brazil.

For Ingle, nan Elbasan travel will beryllium a landmark juncture arsenic she becomes only nan 2nd subordinate to scope 150 Wales appearances.

The 34-year-old has won 5 Women's Super League titles, 3 FA Cups and 2 League Cups, and played successful nan 2021 Champions League final.

But Ingle says she takes astir restitution from an world profession which has truthful acold spanned 17 years.

"Playing for Wales is up location and astir apt will beryllium nan champion point I've ever done successful my career," she said.

"Obviously astatine nine level, winning convention titles and FA Cups is great, but there's nary amended emotion than putting connected nan Welsh garment and playing pinch this bunch of girls."

Women's World Cup qualifying

Saturday, 18 April astatine 17:00 BST

Elbasan Arena, Elbasan

Ingle, who joined Bristol City past summertime aft 7 years astatine Chelsea, says she feels arsenic fresh arsenic astatine immoderate constituent successful her profession having flooded an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) wounded which saw her miss nan full 2024-25 nine season.

The midfielder aliases defender is wrong show of Jess Fishlock's Welsh grounds of 166 caps and different Wales great, Helen Ward, said this week that Ingle could make it to 200.

Responding to Ward's suggestion, Ingle said: "Oh wow, I don't know... that's a agelong measurement disconnected I think.

"We astir apt only play eight, nine, 10 games a year, truthful I'll beryllium 40 by then.

"I'm not sure, I'm conscionable focusing connected nan games coming up and evidently our main target is nan World Cup."

Rhian Wilkinson, victor of 183 Canada caps successful her playing days, paid tribute to Ingle aft confirming that she will commencement successful Albania.

Wales' caput coach says Ingle has produced immoderate of nan champion shot of her profession having returned from nan ACL problem successful clip to play a bit-part domiciled astatine Euro 2025.

When asked really agelong Ingle tin proceed playing for Wales, Wilkinson said: "Well she is hardly crawling. Age is simply a measure, correct - we usage it a batch successful football.

"But capacity and what you are capable to execute successful beingness outputs, arsenic good arsenic conscionable nan output successful nan game, would make Sophie 1 of our apical performers.

"Wherever she is successful her profession will beryllium her choice, but I dream arsenic a coach that each my champion players support playing for arsenic agelong arsenic possible."

Wales are looking for a 3rd triumph successful 4 games successful Group B1 arsenic they look to support gait pinch nan Czech Republic successful nan title for apical spot.

There is nary automatic way to nan Women's World Cup disposable to Wales because they are successful League B, but finishing first would mean a much favourable tie successful nan play-offs later this year.

Having claimed a last-gasp tie successful nan Czech Republic successful their opening crippled of this run past month, Wales cruised to a 6-1 triumph complete Montenegro earlier a 4-0 triumph complete Albania successful Wrexham successful midweek.

The Czechs, meanwhile, won 5-1 successful Albania and hit Montenegro 5-0 astatine home.

The likelihood is, therefore, that who wins nan group will beryllium decided erstwhile Wales big nan Czechs successful nan last crippled successful June, pinch nations who are level connected points initially separated by head-to-head records.

"We person to get 3 points [against Albania] and past we person to spell into nan June campy and get 2 wins," Ingle said.

Wilkinson believes Wales tin expect a sterner trial distant successful Albania than they faced astatine nan Stok Cae Ras, acknowledgment successful portion to upwind conditions which meant facet 50 sun pick was required astatine training connected Friday.

"It's a small spot hotter present than successful Wrexham," she said.

"But I was really pleased pinch nan capacity [on Tuesday] because what we person been asking for, they are moving difficult to deliver.

"I dream we are capable to put successful back-to-back performances for illustration that."