NARBERTH football sensation Angharad James has been named the new Wales captain after former captain Sophie Ingle stood down from her role in April.
As one of four players who captained Wales during their Euro 2025 qualifying campaign, Angharad will now lead her country on a permanent basis after being the hot favourite to succeed Ingle having already won 122 Wales caps since her debut in 2011.
The former Tottenham and Reading player will be assisted by vice-captains Ceri Holland and Hayley Ladd.
“Being able to represent your country is the greatest honour that a player can have, so being named as the captain has been an extremely proud moment for me and my family” commented Angharad.
“Sophie Ingle is an exceptional leader and I’ve learnt so much from her dedication and leadership over the last nine years and her legacy in the game is going to be felt for many years to come.
“It’s a true honour to be able to follow in her footsteps.”
Commenting on Angharad’s captaincy, head coach Rhian Wilkinson said the midfielder has proven a consistently skilled player throughout her career.
“This has been displayed on so many occasions, as has the support and backup she always shows to her co-players,” she said.
“And the way in which she inspires younger players with her love and commitment for the game in exceptional, and this is so important for the future of the team and the direction in which we’re now moving.”
The 30-year-old lands the role as Wales prepares to face Slovakia in the first round of play-offs for the Euro 2025 finals in Switzerland, with the first leg on Friday, October 26, before the return game at the Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday, October 29.
Wales could then face the Republic of Ireland, who take on Georgia, in the final of the play-offs if both nations progress.
James is ideally suited to the role as a Welsh speaker, because the Football Association of Wales (FAW) is keen on promoting the Welsh language. As a result, the country now has two fluent Welsh speakers captaining Cymru with both James and Aaron Ramsey having secured the top positions.
Narberth-born James, who was one of four players to wear the armband throughout the 2025 UEFA Women’s EURO qualifying campaign following Sophie Ingle’s decision to step down, has been captain on three occasions previously having taken the armband for the friendly against USA in July 2023 before leading out Cymru for the 2025 UEFA Women’s EURO qualifiers against Ukraine and Kosovo at Parc y Scarlets.
