Playing for Wales trumps club successes - Ingle

Sophie Ingle won her first Wales cap as a teenager in 2009 [FAW]

Sophie Ingle says playing for Wales trumps anything she has achieved at club level as she prepares to win her 150th cap in Saturday's Women's World Cup qualifier in Albania.

Wales are hoping for a repeat of Tuesday's comfortable 4-0 win over the Albanians as they look to take a step closer to the 2027 tournament in Brazil.

For Ingle, the Elbasan trip will be a landmark occasion as she becomes only the second player to reach 150 Wales appearances.

The 34-year-old has won five Women's Super League titles, three FA Cups and two League Cups, and played in the 2021 Champions League final.

But Ingle says she takes most satisfaction from an international career which has so far spanned 17 years.

"Playing for Wales is up there and probably will be the best thing I've ever done in my career," she said.

"Obviously at club level, winning league titles and FA Cups is great, but there's no better feeling than putting on the Welsh shirt and playing with this bunch of girls."

Ingle, who joined Bristol City last summer after seven years at Chelsea, says she feels as fit as at any point in her career having overcome an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury which saw her miss the entire 2024-25 club season.

The midfielder or defender is within sight of Jess Fishlock's Welsh record of 166 caps and another Wales great, Helen Ward, said this week that Ingle could make it to 200.

Responding to Ward's suggestion, Ingle said: "Oh wow, I don't know... that's a long way off I think.

"We probably only play eight, nine, 10 games a year, so I'll be 40 by then.

"I'm not sure, I'm just focusing on the games coming up and obviously our main target is the World Cup."

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Rhian Wilkinson, winner of 183 Canada caps in her playing days, paid tribute to Ingle after confirming that she will start in Albania.

Wales' head coach says Ingle has produced some of the best football of her career having returned from the ACL problem in time to play a bit-part role at Euro 2025.

When asked how long Ingle can continue playing for Wales, Wilkinson said: "Well she is hardly crawling. Age is a measure, right - we use it a lot in football.

"But performance and what you are able to achieve in physical outputs, as well as just the output in the game, would make Sophie one of our top performers.

"Wherever she is in her career will be her choice, but I hope as a coach that all my best players keep playing for as long as possible."

'A little hotter than Wrexham'

(Left to right) Angharad James, Mayzee Davies, Sophie Ingle and Mared Griffiths step out to train at the Elbasan Arena, where Wales take on Albania on Saturday [FAW]

Wales are looking for a third victory in four games in Group B1 as they look to keep pace with the Czech Republic in the race for top spot.

There is no automatic route to the Women's World Cup available to Wales because they are in League B, but finishing first would mean a more favourable draw in the play-offs later this year.

Having claimed a last-gasp draw in the Czech Republic in their opening game of this campaign last month, Wales cruised to a 6-1 victory over Montenegro before a 4-0 win over Albania in Wrexham in midweek.

The Czechs, meanwhile, won 5-1 in Albania and beat Montenegro 5-0 at home.

The likelihood is, therefore, that who wins the group will be decided when Wales host the Czechs in the final game in June, with nations who are level on points initially separated by head-to-head records.

"We have to get three points [against Albania] and then we have to go into the June camp and get two wins," Ingle said.

Wilkinson believes Wales can expect a sterner test away in Albania than they faced at the Stok Cae Ras, thanks in part to weather conditions which meant factor 50 sun cream was required at training on Friday.

"It's a little bit hotter here than in Wrexham," she said.

"But I was really pleased with the performance [on Tuesday] because what we have been asking for, they are working hard to deliver.

"I hope we are able to put in back-to-back performances like that."