Jess Fishlock: Wales legend joins the staff for the first 2027 World Cup qualifiers

“These are women who have given everything for their country, and with our young players coming through now, I think having the support of these players across the environment is huge,” Wilkinson added.

“Similarly, Jess needs to see a little behind the curtain so she can make her own decisions about what she might want to do in the future, if she retires.”

The match against Czech Republic, which will be played in Uherske Hradisti, is Wales’ first competitive match since Euro 2025, which was the first major women’s tournament for which the team qualified.

Wales’ hopes of following up their European Championship appearance by reaching a maiden World Cup have not been diminished by the loss of Fishlock, the greatest player in the history of the Welsh game.

But while she feels Fishlock can still contribute on the pitch, Wilkinson says she has to accept her decision to step down from her Wales duty.

“Jess is one of those players who can play for many more years, and she realized that when she retired,” Wilkinson said.

“It hurts to know that maybe she can still get on the field, but I also think it was a great decision to make when she was healthy and strong and still quite capable of saying: ‘Okay, I want to focus on my club football at this stage.’”

“We had really good conversations and Jess is an all-in type person so she doesn’t say, ‘Oh, I’m ready to go another year.’ In her mind, if she’s feeling well, she’s saying yes to a course, whether it’s two years or four years, and I don’t think she felt like she had the energy to do that.”