A 20-player squad has been selected for Cymru MU18s’ away double header against Finland in Eerikkilä in October.
Neil Taylor will take charge of the team for the international window following Chris Gunter’s decision to step away as Cymru MU18 Head Coach due to commitments with his full-time role at Oxford United where he is Assistant Coach to Aaron Ramsey.
A UEFA Pro License holder, Taylor was previously Assistant Coach for the Cymru U21s and was recently Head Coach at Gulf United in the United Arab Emirates. As a player Taylor was capped 43 times for Cymru and was a key part of the run to the EURO 2016 semi-finals, playing every minute of Cymru’s matches during the tournament.
The matches will take place on Saturday 3 October (KO 11am BST) and Monday 5 October (KO 10am BST) at Eerikkilä’s Sport and Outdoor Resort.
Speaking about the Head Coach change, the FAW’s Chief Football Officer Dr. David Adams said; “I would like to thank Chris for his important work at the FAW through the player pathway since his playing career came to an end, first as an Assistant Coach for the Men’s National Team and then as an age group coach across our age group teams.”
“With Neil taking charge of the upcoming international window, it will be a great experience for our MU18 players as Neil will look to bring his Cymru coaching experiences with our U21s to the team, alongside his UEFA Pro Licence qualification obtained through the FAW Coach Education system.”
Speaking about the decision to step away from the role, Chris Gunter said; “It’s been an honour to be involved in the Cymru coaching setup since 2023 and seeing players across our pathway develop both on and off the pitch.”
“It has been a difficult decision to step down, but I would like to wish the MU18 players all the best for the upcoming season, and I would also like to thank Dave and Craig for their support over the last few years.”
“It’s been a privilege to lead this group of players knowing that many of them will go on to even more success through the pathway as their careers progress.”
The matches will be part of the side’s preparations for the 2028 UEFA U19 EURO qualifiers which will begin in March. The draw for Round One will take place later this season.
Cymru MU18: Alex CROSS (Cardiff City), Charlie BELL (Cardiff City), Keano CONATY (Cardiff City), Alfie WALKER (Leeds United), Theo PITT (Blackburn Rovers), Logan CARTWRIGHT (Cardiff City), Finn EVANS (Luton Town), Louie EVANS (Bolton Wanderers), Ashton WILLIAMS (Wolverhampton Wanderers), George ROBINSON (Southampton), Dafi PEMBERTON (Everton), Issac THOMAS (West Ham United), Brodie JONES (Nottingham Forest), Alfie JONES (Swansea City), Zac SCRIVENS (Fleetwood Town), Jacob NORRIS (Cardiff City), Jack JONES (Wrexham), Leo PAPIRNYK (Cardiff City), Archie LORIMER (Burnley), Ollie SALTER (Tottenham Hotspur).
