Wilkinson 'never prouder' despite Wales on brink of exit

Wales boss Rhian Wilkinson says she has "never been prouder," despite Wales being on the brink of Euro 2025 elimination.

A 4-1 defeat to France means Wales need a miracle to qualify for the knockout stages in Switzerland, requiring a five goal victory over reigning champions England on Sunday in St Gallen and for France to beat the Netherlands in Basel.

Despite another three goal defeat, Wales were vastly improved against France and created a moment of Welsh footballing history with their first major tournament goal - a moment that saw Jess Fishlock become the oldest goalscorer in European Championship history.

"I've never been prouder. This team, they just keep surprising me," Wilkinson said.

"To be that courageous and to show up against one of the best teams in the world, I truly believe France are easily top three, and to score our fist Euro goal, it was amazing. I'm very proud today."

Wales always had a tough task to progress from group D, pitted against reigning champions England and, in France and the Netherlands, the sides ranked 10th and 11th in the world.

Wilkinson says the improved performance is more important to her than the result, especially with Wales complete novices on the world stage.

"Results are secondary to performance, I say that all the time, I'd rather lose 4-1 and play and show courage than lose 1-0 and just sit and not actually give our fans something to cheer and boy did we cheer," she told BBC Sport Wales.

"It was a big, big improvement performance-wise from the first game. I guess once again it's just little errors, individual mistakes and at this level obviously you're punished to the fullest extent.

"Wales is a minnow on the world stage and they've earned the right to be here and to represent our amazing country and now we get to see the difference. The difference between the top teams and where we're at.

"This is a very new nation to the football world and we showed everyone how proud we are to represent Wales."

Wilkinson was full of praise for Seattle Reign's Fishlock, 38, who inevitably produced Wales' first memorable moment at a major finals, 19 years after her Wales debut, also in Switzerland.

"I don't think you have many players anywhere in the world who are such servants to their nation," she said.

"I mean she plays in Seattle. That flight is terrible, terrible and she's never turned down Wales and she's done it for years.

"She's at the twilight of her career and whenever she chooses to call it a day she has demonstrated what it is to be a proud Welsh woman who will give everything to her country and to her team and there haven't been so many highlights."

Wilkinson is delighted Fishlock has now had a moment in the limelight.

"There's been great games, there's been fantastic performances but they haven't quite made it to the to the world stage and she's on it and she's on the field and she scores that goal and everyone knows that is one of those moments that we should celebrate," she added.

"Her career spans the whole of Welsh history on the women's side and we are minnows. We are at the very cusp of what we're going to be doing in Wales with women's football and Jess is leading that charge with the group of women and I am completely in awe of this moment and this group."

Fishlock says she will reflect on the tournament when it is finished, but admitted she was proud to have scored a historic goal, the 48th international goal of her glittering career.

"I'm really proud of these girls tonight. We were in it and doing exactly what we expected to do," she told ITV.

"I think the biggest learning for us in this entire tournament so far is in the little moments, we just have to be a little bit better. But we're so close and I'm so proud of this group tonight.

"I'm very grateful to have scored and maybe after the tournament I'll let that sink in a little bit more."

Wales captain Angharad James was delighted for her long-term teammate.

"I'm so happy for Jess, this was her moment, she's worked so hard as an individual in the last 20 years, and I'm so proud she got her moment," she said.