CARRIE Jones and Ceri Holland will help form the 26 player squad for Wales’ UEFA Women’s Nations League double header later this month.
The Liverpool midfielder, who qualifies for Wales through her Llanrhaeadr born mother, joins Newtown raised Bristol City forward Jones in representing Powys in the Welsh squad.
Gemma Grainger’s squad take on Germany on Friday, October 27th and Denmark on October 31st.
The fixtures are part of the first ever UEFA Women’s Nations League competition, where Wales will face Iceland, Denmark and Germany in League A.
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The competition is also a potential opportunity for Grainger’s side to guarantee a qualification place for the 2025 UEFA Women’s EURO competition.
Following the October camp, Wales will have back-to-back home matches in December to end the campaign, starting against Iceland at the Cardiff City Stadium on December 1st and Germany at the Swansea.com Stadium on December 5th.
Ceri Holland in action for Wales. Picture by Ashley Crowden/FAW.
Wales currently prop up the group following a disastrous start to the qualification group last month.
Grainger said after the defeat: “Disappointing night. We don’t want to lose, we don’t want to concede five goals.
“I don’t think it’s a 5-1 game. I think there were times particularly at 2-1 and even at 3-1 where we had very good chances.
“When you play these teams, they are clinical and you have to be clinical also. I think that’s the biggest lesson that we take from the game. We have to learn quickly.
“When we qualify for European Championships, we are going to play against these teams and these teams are clinical.
“They will take the majority of their chances. That’s something we need to take note of.”
Holland has proven a key player for club and country since breaking into the Welsh set up.
The Wales international, who was born in West Yorkshire, spent four years in the USA playing for the University of Kansas prior to joining the Reds and, before her experience in America, had been part of Manchester City’s development programme.
She signed a new contract with Liverpool in July 2022 after helping Matt Beard’s team win the FA Women’s Championship title and promotion.
Holland’s development continued in the Barclays Women’s Super League in the 2022-23 season, providing four goals from 19 appearances as the Reds finished seventh.
That form earned the popular 25 year old the award for Players’ Player of the Year from supporters and her team-mates and coaches.
Holland committed her future to the club again by penning another contract extension ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.
Jones has begun a new phase in her career after switching to Bristol City from Manchester United this summer.
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