Matty Jones reflects on Cymru U21 positives ahead of 2027 draw

Cymru U21 head coach Matty Jones is ready to start the long road to UEFA U21 EURO 2027 qualifying as he heads to UEFA HQ in Nyon, Switzerland for the qualifying draw which takes place on Thursday, 6 February (8AM GMT).

Jones’ side narrowly missed out on qualification for the 2025 finals that will take place in Slovakia this summer, but he believes the positives from what was his first campaign override the eventual disappointment. “It would be fantastic to be looking ahead to a tournament and it would have been a deserved reward for every player and member of staff over the course of the campaign,” he explained to FAW.cymru.

“It was just a shame that we didn’t cross that final hurdle to give everyone that experience and the opportunity, but I definitely reflect and review the whole campaign as a huge success. The amount of small wins as well as individual achievements for players and collectively as a group was fantastic. I had to constantly remind myself of my remit in my role, it’s not necessarily to qualify, but getting players to the senior team is ultimately what my goal is.

“Of course, qualification is what we’re trying to aspire to, and even though we came so close, I have to remind myself of the success of the five players who progressed into the senior squad. That was probably our biggest achievement, together with numerous players having training opportunities as well as 31 players making their U21 debuts since I came into the role. So it’s put us in a real powerful position now going forward, and it only strengthens our situation.”

Cymru will be in Pot 4 for the draw and Jones is looking forward to discovering what challenges his squad will face as they look to qualify for the U21 EURO Championship finals for the first time.

“There will be attractive fixtures that we will be targeting and teams that we will want to avoid,” he added. “But whatever is pulled out of the hat we have to deal with it. The biggest thing for any manager going into the draw is to be as reactive as possible, making sure we’re prepared for every eventuality. I genuinely feel with our mentality, with our attitude and approach over the last couple of years, we’ll be able to face anyone.”

The end of the last qualification campaign brought to a close the U21 careers of a number of players in the squad, and the next generation will now look to make their mark when the competitive action returns. “In Welsh football we’ve always got wonderful talent and you’ve just got to enjoy those moments,” Jones explained. “Because the frustrating part is that you’ve got to pass those players on and start all over again. That’s exactly where we currently are.

“The important thing is to be able to evolve and keep things moving forward, but I’m still in communication with those players. They never leave. It’s fantastic to see the success of some of the players have already had since the end of our campaign, and will continue to have as well. We’re fully aware of the pathway of players coming through the age groups. Sometimes you’re targeting players and you’ve got to wait three or four years for them to come through. The pathway looks different for certain players.”

As a player himself, Jones made 13 senior appearances for Cymru after coming through the intermediate pathway. The international landscape has changed significantly since that time, and Jones believes a lot of progress has been made off the field as well as on it. “It’s exciting in terms of what we’ve created over the last two years,” he added. “We’ve aligned both the seniors and the U21’s to normalise the situation that players will play across the pathway. What we want to do is try and take away the image that playing up is the right way to go.

“It’s not about trying to convince players to move across age groups, but changing the culture and the environment. To change the way of thinking and change the terminology. Ultimately, when you speak to every player all they want to do is play football. Some will move quickly through the system, but they’ve also got to understand why they’re doing that through clear communication and with an action plan. There are many factors that players have to understand to make it normal, and it was a big passion of mine to change that culture and expectation from players.”

Jones was appointed Cymru U21 head coach in September 2022, and last summer signed a two-year extension to his contract to take him through to 2028. “I’m excited and passionate about this role and I’m loving it,” he explained. “I can’t adore my job any more. I’ve been through the adversities and the trauma that you get coaching club and academy football, so I do see this as a reward. It’s a luxury role that many people look for. I do feel quite privileged to be in this position because you’re also representing your country, and you can’t get better than that.”

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