Hayley Ladd is set to become the latest Cymru centurion against Italy on Friday night and sat down with the media earlier this week to discuss this significant milestone and to also reflect on her international career.
“I’m incredibly proud to be in this camp at this moment,” Ladd explained. “Potentially reaching that 100th cap is amazing for me and my family. It’s something that I’ve always wanted to work towards ever since being a younger player and seeing the likes of Jess Fishlock and Sophie Ingle reach 100 caps for Wales. I just thought that if I can achieve that in my career then I can retire knowing that I’ve achieved something great.”
Versatility has been a key component of Ladd’s international longevity having played across both defence and midfield. Now 31 and having completed her move from Manchester United to Everton just last month, Ladd has witnessed first-hand significant change across the landscape of the women’s game and believes Cymru’s participation at the EURO 2025 finals this summer will be another pivotal moment in this upward trajectory.
“It’s still an unbelievable feeling and I’m so proud to be a part of this team,” said Ladd. “I felt we had to break through that glass ceiling for the team to progress and be taken more seriously, and for us in how we view ourselves and our potential. I feel that some individual players haven’t had the recognition they deserve and hopefully in the summer they will get that.”
Ladd regularly name-drops Fishlock and Ingle as the senior figures she strived to emulate, and they are two of only nine Cymru players across the men’s and women’s national team to have reached 100 appearances for their country. Both players were named in the starting line-up when a 17-year old Ladd made her senior debut from the bench in the final minutes of a 2-0 defeat to New Zealand in June 2011 at the Matchworld Women’s Cup tournament in Switzerland.
“It was a long time ago,” she added. “It was just an amazing feeling to be a part of the senior team for the first time and to see these professionals playing such amazing football.” In a twist of fate, Ladd will now return to Switzerland for the EURO finals this summer, while her 50th cap in January 2019 was also achieved in Italy. “That was amazing day also with loads of snow,” she explained. “They are some touching moments and it’s nice to reflect upon them.”
Jarmo Matikainen was the Cymru head coach that saw the potential in Ladd when she made her senior debut in 2011, and was played an influential role in her loan move from Arsenal to Finnish club Kokkola Futis 10 in 2012. Spells at Coventry City, Bristol Academy and Birmingham City followed before Ladd signed for Manchester United in 2019. Named Player of the Year in her debut season at the club, Ladd would also lift the FA Cup in 2024 before making the switch to Everton for more regular football.
“She’s moved because she wants to play more because she knows how important that is for our international prospects,” explained Cymru head coach Rhian Wilkinson recently. “She’s a great example of what we need from our players. She’s showing all the Welsh players, and also the young ones coming through, that you’ve got to fight for your career, to make sure that you’re being given every opportunity to continue to develop. And as one of our leaders to demonstrate that, it’s pretty incredible.”
Ladd scored both her senior international goals in 2017 during victories over Portugal and Kazakhstan, and will now look to use the upcoming Nations League A matches as preparation for what could be a defining summer for this generation as Cymru head to a major women’s tournament finals for the very first time. The challenge of France, the Netherlands and holders England in Switzerland is a tough one, but Ladd’s confidence and belief in her team is unwavering.
“We’ve always loved being the underdogs within this Welsh team,” she explained. “I think that’s something that brings out the best in us in terms of our defensive resilience and the shock of us having amazing attacking potential as well. We want to take the excitement of qualifying into our performances, we have no pressure on us, but we will put pressure on ourselves to perform and really enjoy being out there. We know it’s going to be tough, but what’s better than to test ourselves against the very best.
“The player and staff group that we have put huge amounts of love and effort into us as players, and I’m incredibly grateful for that. In terms of my career I’m in a nice space, I feel like I’ve accrued a lot of experience and honed myself as a player so that I know what I’m about. We’re happy with where we stand as a team. We’re proud of the fact that we’re a really tough team to beat and what we can deliver, both offensively and defensively. Playing these tough teams is perfect preparation for us and signifies where we are as a nation.”
