PEMBROKESHIRE’S Angharad James was one of five Reading FC players selected for Wales Women’s football team training squad, in preparation for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Qualifiers.

James, who attended Ysgol Preseli in Crymych around the same time as Wales’ men's international star Joe Allen, is hoping to play a crucial role in the qualifying stage, due to start in September.

The 26 year-old, from Llandysilio, started out with Manorbier Girls, joining the Arsenal Academy in 2010 at the age of 16, and then playing for Bristol Academy, Notts County, Yeovil Town and Everton.

The Haverfordwest-born midfielder, who played for Wales at U16s, 17s and 19s, had made her senior Wales bow at the age of just 17, as a late sub against Scotland in Edinburgh in October 2011.

She signed for Reading in July 2019, and has established herself as a senior player in the Wales camp, having racked up 83 international caps - and looks well set to go past the three figure mark.

Along with her Reading teammates Natasha Harding, Rachel Rowe, Jess Fishlock and Lily Woodham, James was selected for Wales training duty at their training camp at the Vale Resort last week.

All five played for Reading in a 1-1 draw with Everton at Madejski Stadium in the Women’s Super League, with Rowe earning the side an interval lead, before embarking on international duty.

Another Pembrokeshire player in the Wales training camp is former Neyland player Nadia Lawrence, who re-joined Cardiff City Ladies last summer, after spells playing for Bristol City and Yeovil.

In her earlier days, she turned out for Pennar Robins, Pembroke Borough and Haverfordwest, before starring for Neyland Ladies - and is one of four Cardiff players called into the training squad.

The 31 year-old, who also had a spell in Iceland, won her first senior cap for Wales against Belgium in a 1–1 draw on 5 August 2012, and the striker has gone on to be capped 18 times for her county.

Meanwhile 27 year-old Hayley Ladd (Bristol WFC), who was born in England, also has connections with Pembrokeshire, as her father Martin was raised in the county town of Haverfordwest.

The camp will be the first time the squad has been together since the departure of Jayne Ludlow as national team manager, and an interim coaching group, led by FAW Technical Director Adams, took charge of the squad as the recruitment process for a new manager progresses.

Adams, who hails from Haverfordwest, will be assisted by Wales Men’s Under 18s manager Matty Jones, and the recently retired Wales centurion Loren Dykes for the duration of the camp.

Full squad:

Laura O’SULLIVAN (Cardiff City Ladies), Claire SKINNER (Swansea City), Olivia CLARK (Coventry United), Poppy SOPER (Plymouth Argyle), Rhiannon ROBERTS (Liverpool), Gemma EVANS (Bristol City), Maria FRANCIS-JONES (Cardiff City Ladies), Charlie ESTCOURT (London Bees), Hayley LADD (Manchester United), Josie GREEN (Tottenham Hotspur), Nadia LAWRENCE (Cardiff City Ladies), Elise HUGHES (Blackburn Rovers- On loan from Everton), Anna FILBEY (Celtic- On loan from Tottenham Hotspur), Sophie INGLE (Chelsea), Angharad JAMES (Reading), Jess FISHLOCK (Reading- On loan from OL Reign), Carrie JONES (Manchester United), Kylie NOLAN (Cardiff City Ladies), Chloe WILLIAMS (Manchester United), Kayleigh GREEN (Brighton & Hove Albion), Natasha HARDING (Reading), Rachel ROWE (Reading), Helen Ward (London Bees- Dual contract with Watford), Lily WOODHAM (Reading), Georgia WALTERS (Blackburn Rovers), Ffion MORGAN (Crystal Palace).