Cymru manager Robert Page has suggested that Rubin Colwill could emulate Harry Wilson’s success on the senior international stage after spending time with the under-21 team.
Colwill, a 22-year-old attacking midfielder, was a surprise inclusion in Cymru’s European Championship squad three years ago. He scored his first senior goal for Cymru in March 2022 and later participated in the World Cup, coming on as a substitute in the group match against England. However, the Cardiff City player returned to the Cymru Under-21 squad last summer and played for Matty Jones’ team earlier this year.
Page believes Colwill “could step up again” to the senior side for the upcoming friendlies against Gibraltar on 6 June and Slovakia three days later.
“We did the same when Ryan Giggs was manager and I was with the under-21s,” Page told BBC Sport Cymru. “Ryan asked Harry Wilson to step down and he did. He was a model professional, his training was exemplary, and all the young players looked up to him. It was really beneficial for him.”
Fulham’s Wilson, now 27, has become one of Cymru’s key attacking players. “He only needed one camp with the under-21s before returning to the first team,” Page added. “We’ve adopted the same approach with Rubin, although he has had a couple more camps than Harry did. This will benefit him. He is still part of the process, and we will bring him back up at the right time.”
Colwill scored three goals in 40 appearances for Cardiff in the 2023-24 season. Although he was not a regular starter for Cardiff, manager Erol Bulut noted earlier this month that the academy product had made significant progress during the season, attracting interest from Premier League clubs.
