Ladd's honour as she prepares for 100th Wales cap

Uefa Women's Nations League: Italy v Wales

Venue: Brianteo Stadium, Monza Date: Friday, 21 February Kick-off: 17:15 GMT

Coverage: Live on BBC Two Wales, iPlayer, BBC Radio Wales and Radio Cymru, the BBC Sport website and app, plus live text commentary

Highlights: S4C, 21:50 GMT and later on demand.

Defender Hayley Ladd says she is "honoured" to be on the brink of winning her 100th cap for Wales.

Ladd, 31, will become the 10th player – male or female – to reach a century of caps for Wales if, as expected, she is included in the side who kick off their Nations League campaign in Monza on Friday.

Having made her debut in 2011 and with Wales preparing for a first major tournament appearance this summer, Ladd is aware that she is poised to achieve something that will define her career.

"Winning 100 caps, if it comes, will be a really great honour, a proud moment for me and for my family," Ladd told BBC Sport Wales.

"I remember watching when the likes of Jess Fishlock and Sophie Ingle won their 100th caps and thinking, 'if I can do that, then when I am retired, I can look back at something great'

"To be on the brink of that, is very special."

Ladd, a student of the game who many - including current Wales boss Rhian Wilkinson - expect to pursue a career as manager once she retires, was a school student when she made her Wales debut, combining football with her A level studies.

Ladd's debut, in a friendly against New Zealand, saw her come on for another member of the 100-cap club, striker Helen Ward, or Helen Lander as she was then.

Those were the days of the Wales women's side being an afterthought, wearing men's kits playing in ramshackle stadia in front of small crowds.

It is a far cry from the professional set-up that has seen Wales qualify for Euro 2025.

Ladd started her career in Arsenal's academy before spells with Coventry, Bristol Academy/City and Birmingham City, while she also had a short stint playing in Finland.

It is fair to say that during those early years of Ladd's career, the idea of reaching 100 caps was fairly far from her thoughts.

"Things are much less of a battle than they were 14 years ago, that's just the reality of where the sport was then," she said.

"We hope to continue to push the game forward, but it is so much more enjoyable to be part of the sport when people are behind it and trying to grow the visibility.

"It is good to take stock at the fact we now wear our own kit and feel supported. But [women's] football was banned in England for 50 years... there is still a lot of making up to do.

"We think about the previous generations who were trailblazers and never got the rewards. We've enjoyed the fruits of that and hopefully for the next generation the progress will be a step further still."

Ladd moved to Manchester United in 2019 and spent six years with the club, winning the FA Cup - United women's first major trophy - and playing more than 100 games for the Red Devils.

However, Ladd had been a peripheral figure this season, playing only 10 minutes of WSL action before a January transfer window move to Everton.

Having been a senior player at United, Ladd says opting for the switch to Merseyside was not easy, with Wales and her desire to be in peak condition for this summer's European Championship big factors in her decision.

"I always tried to be the best team-mate that I could be and try to push standards and advocate for the women's team as much as possible at United," she said.

"That was something in terms of my integrity and how I could keep going each day knowing I was trying to do the best thing possible, for not only myself but my team-mates too, even when I wasn't playing as much as I would have liked.

"I'm filled with pride to know that, hopefully, I've had a lasting impact at the club.

"I feel really proud to have made the move to Everton. I feel incredibly happy to be with the club, and it felt like a bandage I had to rip off in terms of leaving Manchester United."

And the key reason behind the move?

"I hope it sets me up well to play for Wales and my performances can reflect that," she added.

For Ladd, the pride of the individual success of winning 100 caps will be put into the shade by the thought of featuring at Euro 2025, particularly after the pivotal role she played in qualifying for the Switzerland tournament.

Ladd and Wales' defenders were star performers as Wilkinson's team shocked the Republic of Ireland in December's play-off final, with a 2-1 second leg win in Dublin enough to secure a 3-2 aggregate victory.

Suddenly, Ladd's career-long dream had become a reality.

You would have forgiven Wales' senior players for starting to wonder if major tournament qualification would ever happen, after the heartache of near misses in their attempts to reach the previous three major finals.

"I think we had this feeling that this time we were not going to go down without a fight, I think we felt like it was going to be our time, that we were going to get over the line this time," Ladd said.

"To finally get there after all that heartbreak, and when I say that - heartbreak - I really mean it, to finally get there was just the best feeling.

"In terms of my career it is the absolute highlight, without a doubt. It all led us to where we are now.

"Things are a world apart from where we were 99 caps ago. In one sense it feels like a blink of an eye, but there has been so much change in women's football. Long may that continue."