Cymru star Jess Fishlock has openly discussed her decision to retire from international football ahead of her final match against Australia at the Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday 25 October (KO 14:00).
“I made the decision after the Euros,” said Fishlock. “It wasn’t a decision that I made lightly, and it took me a couple months to really figure out what I wanted to do. I had a lot of conversations with my family and my partner and came to the decision that this was the right time to say goodbye.”
Fishlock made her senior international debut against Switzerland back in 2006 and the 38-year-old will end her Cymru career as the all-time record appearance holder and goalscorer. The match against Australia will be her 166th in the colours of her country, and she has scored 48 goals during that time.
“The international calendar works in cycles,” she added. “In the end, I just felt that I wouldn’t be able to commit to the cycles as much as I have in the past. That’s just not who I am. If I commit to something, I like to commit to it full throttle, and I just felt like I couldn’t really do that.
“So, then I knew that it’s the right time to walk away. When you look at where we’re at now as a squad then it’s time for the new group to kind of take Wales forward. There was a big temptation to stay on, but in the end, I just didn’t think that was the smart or right thing to do.
“What also makes this decision a lot easier is the group and the players that we have and the manager that we have. When you look at what we’ve been able to create and the players that we have now, I know we’re in good hands. They’re more than capable of creating their own memories and their own dreams now.”
Fishlock will return to the United States following this international window to continue her club career with Seattle Reign in the NWSL. In a club career that has seen her play in three different continents, the midfielder has regularly flown across the world and back to play for Cymru over the last two decades.
“It probably won’t sink in until afterwards,” she added. “I’m just on camp now and I’ll train like I always train, get the game plan and find out what my role is and play the game on the weekend. When I get into football mode, I just stay in there really. It probably won’t hit me until I leave camp and never go back, and I’m sure that will be emotional.”
Fishlock turned 38 at the start of the year but achieved her international dream during the summer as she finally represented Cymru at a major tournament, and scored a record-breaking goal, as Rhian Wilkinson’s side competed at the EURO finals in Switzerland. It was a fitting stage for Fishlock having witnessed immeasurable change since her debut.
“It’s night and day and I think everybody knows that,” she explained. “But that was the point of it, right? That was the point of my journey, to make sure that we would be in a better place by the time I left. I’ve loved my journey, and I do believe that was my purpose.
“There’s been so many highlights throughout my career because there’s been so much change, but I think to be able to leave now and remember the fans in Switzerland will forever be my highlight. I always wanted to be able to play and see a red wall cheering us on, even if we were losing.
“In Switzerland I expected a lot, but I did not expect that, so that will stay with me forever.”
In her farewell statement, Fishlock referenced the senior players in the Cymru squad and that ‘the seven wise women are now down to five,’ with striker Kayleigh Barton also announcing her retirement recently, and was asked what those players who have shared this journey with her over the years mean to her.
“We are such a tight group and they’ve got me through so much,” she explained. “When you play for your country and you’re going back and forth and you’re tired and you don’t want to get out of bed and you certainly don’t want to train, they’re always there picking me up, helping me through the difficult moments.
“I can safely say that I would not have had the career I’ve had if it wasn’t for them.”
Fishlock was speaking to the media at the team base on Tuesday afternoon and explained her close connection with her final opponents and their head coach, Joe Montemurro. In addition to winning league titles as a player with Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City, Fishlock was also player-coach when City won the Australian W-League Championship in 2017.
“When I found out that we were playing Australia, it kind of means a little bit more as well,” she added. “Joe was my mentor for a while, and I have nothing but fond memories of Australia. I couldn’t have really asked for anything more to be honest. Playing at home in front of my family, I think it’s kind of a perfect thing.”
Fishlock also spoke about her conversation with Cymru head coach Rhian Wilkinson once her decision had been made. “I have nothing but great words to say about Rhian in every kind of aspect,” she explained “She was very respectful with our conversations in a sense of she basically just listened to me rambling on.
“I think she knew that had she said anything to me with regards to staying, she knew that I would never be able to say no to my country, but as she has played herself, she understood how difficult it is to finally get to this stage. By doing that, she showed me the utmost respect. I’ll be forever grateful for that.”
