Wilkinson 'never Prouder' Despite Wales On Brink Of Exit

Wales leader Rhian Wilkinson says she has "never been prouder," contempt Wales being connected nan brink of Euro 2025 elimination.

A 4-1 conclusion to France intends Wales request a occurrence to suffice for nan knockout stages successful Switzerland, requiring a 5 extremity triumph complete reigning champions England connected Sunday successful St Gallen and for France to hit nan Netherlands successful Basel.

Despite different 3 extremity defeat, Wales were vastly improved against France and created a infinitesimal of Welsh footballing history pinch their first awesome tourney extremity - a infinitesimal that saw Jess Fishlock go nan oldest goalscorer successful European Championship history.

"I've ne'er been prouder. This team, they conscionable support astonishing me," Wilkinson said.

"To beryllium that courageous and to show up against 1 of nan champion teams successful nan world, I genuinely judge France are easy apical three, and to people our fist Euro goal, it was amazing. I'm very proud today."

Wales ever had a reliable task to advancement from group D, pitted against reigning champions England and, successful France and nan Netherlands, nan sides classed 10th and 11th successful nan world.

Wilkinson says nan improved capacity is much important to her than nan result, particularly pinch Wales complete novices connected nan world stage.

"Results are secondary to performance, I opportunity that each nan time, I'd alternatively suffer 4-1 and play and show courageousness than suffer 1-0 and conscionable beryllium and not really springiness our fans thing to cheer and boy did we cheer," she told BBC Sport Wales.

"It was a big, large betterment performance-wise from nan first game. I conjecture erstwhile again it's conscionable small errors, individual mistakes and astatine this level evidently you're punished to nan fullest extent.

"Wales is simply a minnow connected nan world shape and they've earned nan correct to beryllium present and to correspond our astonishing state and now we get to spot nan difference. The quality betwixt nan apical teams and wherever we're at.

"This is simply a very caller federation to nan shot world and we showed everyone really proud we are to correspond Wales."

Wilkinson was afloat of praise for Seattle Reign's Fishlock, 38, who inevitably produced Wales' first memorable infinitesimal astatine a awesome finals, 19 years aft her Wales debut, besides successful Switzerland.

"I don't deliberation you person galore players anyplace successful nan world who are specified servants to their nation," she said.

"I mean she plays successful Seattle. That formation is terrible, unspeakable and she's ne'er turned down Wales and she's done it for years.

"She's astatine nan twilight of her profession and whenever she chooses to telephone it a time she has demonstrated what it is to beryllium a proud Welsh female who will springiness everything to her state and to her squad and location haven't been truthful galore highlights."

Wilkinson is delighted Fishlock has now had a infinitesimal successful nan limelight.

"There's been awesome games, there's been awesome performances but they haven't rather made it to nan to nan world shape and she's connected it and she's connected nan section and she scores that extremity and everyone knows that is 1 of those moments that we should celebrate," she added.

"Her profession spans nan full of Welsh history connected nan women's broadside and we are minnows. We are astatine nan very cusp of what we're going to beryllium doing successful Wales pinch women's shot and Jess is starring that complaint pinch nan group of women and I americium wholly successful awe of this infinitesimal and this group."

Fishlock says she will bespeak connected nan tourney erstwhile it is finished, but admitted she was proud to person scored a historical goal, nan 48th world extremity of her sparkling career.

"I'm really proud of these girls tonight. We were successful it and doing precisely what we expected to do," she told ITV.

"I deliberation nan biggest learning for america successful this full tourney truthful acold is successful nan small moments, we conscionable person to beryllium a small spot better. But we're truthful adjacent and I'm truthful proud of this group tonight.

"I'm very grateful to person scored and possibly aft nan tourney I'll fto that descend successful a small spot more."

Wales skipper Angharad James was delighted for her semipermanent teammate.

"I'm truthful happy for Jess, this was her moment, she's worked truthful difficult arsenic an individual successful nan past 20 years, and I'm truthful proud she sewage her moment," she said.