The Football Association of Wales is pleased to confirm the appointments of two new Cymru MU17 and MU18 head coaches.
Wayne Hatswell, who completed his coaching badges with the FAW and is now a UEFA Pro Licence holder, will lead Cymru MU17.
Hatswell enjoyed a 21-year playing career as a defender before progressing into coaching.
During his coaching career, Hatswell spent more than nine years as assistant coach at Newport County and helped guide the Exiles to two League Two play-off finals in 2019 and 2021.
He was also assistant to James Rowberry, who was recently appointed as Craig Bellamy’s assistant, during their time together at Newport. Hatswell has since spent time coaching at Walsall and Swindon Town.
Meanwhile, Craig Knight will now take charge of Cymru MU18 after previously leading the under 17s.
Knight created history in 2023 by guiding Cymru to the UEFA U17 EURO finals for the first time after finishing top of their qualifying group.
Cymru then sealed qualification for the finals for the second consecutive year in 2024 under Knight’s guidance.
Knight’s step up to the under 18s will see him continue working with the team that reached the finals in Cyprus this year.
He will lead the group into the 2026 UEFA U19 EURO finals, which will be held across stadiums in north Wales to celebrate the FAW’s 150th anniversary.
Following his appointment as Cymru MU17 head coach, Hatswell said: “I’m excited to be given the opportunity to oversee this group of players.
“I completed my UEFA Pro Licence with the FAW and understand the importance of delivering the Welsh Way principles, which will hopefully help players make the transition through our age groups and into the senior team.
“I’ve been where these players are in the early stages of their careers, so I want to pass on my previous experiences and I’m looking forward to working closely with them to aid their development.”
Cymru MU18 head coach Knight said: “I’m incredibly proud of the achievements of the players, staff and association following two successful EURO finals qualifications with the under 17s and we’ve loved every second.
“With us hosting the under 19s finals tournament in 2026, it’s reflective of the association’s thinking, that they have put a provision for the under 18s, so they have the opportunity to keep playing high level international fixtures to best prepare them for the challenges to be faced at that tournament.
“With no qualifiers for the under 18s, their schedule is lighter so I’m also looking forward to working with other age group camps in our player pathway and supporting those, with hopefully some of the experiences and learning from the past two years qualifications.
“It was great to see our senior head coach Craig Bellamy at the recent Cymru Cup event along with a number of senior FAW staff. Their support is testament to the joined-up approach of the player pathway in Wales.”
