Welsh FA letting down Cymru Premier on international stage says The New Saints owner Mike Harris

Wales boss Rob Page has named a 25-man squad for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers – as his side face Armenia at the Cardiff City Stadium on June, before travelling to Turkey three days later.

The Wales squad has traditionally been made up of players playing in the Premier League and the EFL, but Harris believes that needs to change and spots need to be designated in training camps for home-grown domestic talent.

“It is extremely disappointing that Wales remains one of few nations in world football ranked inside the top 50 to not have a player selected from its own domestic top flight,” said Harris. “It is crucial for the development, exposure and future of the sport in Wales that there are opportunities for those who ply their trade in their home country to have the opportunity to pull on their country’s shirt.

“TNS are at the forefront of developing the next generation of talent within the Welsh domestic game, having been awarded Category A academy status, alongside two other Welsh domestic clubs, meaning we provide the very best provision possible to nurture the next generation of players through the system.”

You have to go back as far as the 1990s for one of the last time a domestic player from Wales made the Wales squad – with Barry Town’s Gary Lloyd selected for a call-up.

Multiple TNS title winner Steve Evans, now manager of Colwyn Bay, left the Saints for Wrexham in 2006 and went on to earn seven international caps. However, after returning to Park Hall, he never earned another call-up.

Former TNS loanee Ben Cabango is in the Welsh squad, but was only called up after returning to parent club Swansea City.

Harris believes that there should be the chance for one Cymru Premier player to join up with the Wales squad for a training camp.

He explained by doing this it will offer much more exposure for the league, and only help to improve the domestic game in Wales.

He added: “The recent training camp squad selection was a fantastic chance for a player from the Welsh Premier League to gain the opportunity to be in and around the national team.

“There is so much talent in the country that deserves that opportunity, which in turn would have enhanced the awareness and reputation of domestic football within Wales.

“We are committed to working with the FAW both now and in the future to ensure there is a pathway from the domestic league to running out in the famous red shirt of Wales.”

The squad announcement earlier this week saw Bournemouth’s David Brooks return to Wales duty for the first time since recovering from cancer.

Page had already made clear that attacking midfielder Brooks, 25, would be selected for Wales’ summer fixtures having returned to first-team action at Bournemouth.

Brooks was diagnosed with stage two Hodgkin lymphoma in October 2021 but played his first Bournemouth game in 536 days in March having announced he was cancer free in May 2022.

Elsewhere, Neco Williams, who hails from Wrexham, has earned a spot despite being out since April with a broken jaw.

But there is no place for Tom Lockyer after he collapsed during Luton Town’s play-off final win over Coventry City.