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1.
Name: Craig Bellamy
Current Club: Coventry City (Eng)
Date of Birth: 13/07/1979
Position: Striker
Previous Clubs: Norwich City
Honours: Schoolboy, Youth, U-21 Intl. and 10 full caps.
Comments: Craig’s transfer early in the season has produced mixed results so far, as he settles in to life in the Premier league. I have little doubt that in time he will be as consistent a scorer as he was with Norwich, the experience gained at the top level becoming an important asset. Having already shown he is capable of scoring at international level, all Welsh supporters I am sure will agree that Craig’s success will be so important toward the future improvement of the Wales senior team.
2.
Name: Matthew Jones
Current Club: Leicester City (Eng)
Date of Birth: 01/09/1980
Position: Midfielder
Previous Clubs: Leeds United
Honours: Schoolboy, Youth, U-21 Intl. and 5 full caps.
Comments: Matthew’s recent transfer also sees him in a settling in period, although he is already a regular member of the Leicester team. This is another boost for the future of the Welsh international team as he gains Premier league experience. As noted in last seasons comments his expected progress is of immense importance toward the well being of the international team. I regard both Craig and Matthew as equal in many aspects and can only separate them by the number of full caps gained so far.
3.
Name: Simon Davies
Current Club: Tottenham Hotspur (Eng)
Date of Birth: 23/10/1979
Position: Midfielder
Previous Clubs: Peterborough United
Honours: Schoolboy, Youth, U-21 Intl.
Comments: Simon has just completed a year after his transfer to Tottenham and appears to be progressing toward increased appearances in the Premier league. Already a regular member of the first team squad, all indications from the past make the next step a matter of time. This will come none too soon for the benefit of Welsh football as one hopes for an increase in the quality depth of the squad.
4.
Name: Chris Llewellyn
Current Club: Norwich City (Eng)
Date of Birth: 28/08/1979
Position: Midfielder
Previous Clubs: None
Honours: Schoolboy, Youth, U-21 Intl., and 2 full caps.
Comments: Chris rounds off the top four as they were placed on last year’s list. He is also making steady progress and is now an important member of the Norwich team. It is hoped the progress will continue, as Wales will certainly need adequate replacements for some of the older players in another couple of seasons or so.
5.
Name: Rhys Weston
Current Club: Cardiff City (Eng)
Date of Birth: 27/10/1980
Position: Defender
Previous Clubs: Arsenal
Honours: Schoolboy (Eng), U-21 Intl. And 1 full cap.
Comments: A new addition to the list this season, however, his previous omission was only due to my not realizing his commitment to Wales. Rhys has already made one appearance in the senior side, showing the high regard of his ability. The move to Cardiff will most likely be of benefit to Wales, as he gains the experience of first team football. Top class defenders, is a part of the Welsh squad which is lacking depth, and one hopes that in future Rhys will become a solution.
6.
Name: Robert Earnshaw
Current Club: Cardiff City
Date of Birth: 06/04/1981
Position: ST
Previous Clubs: None
Honours: Schoolboy, Youth and U-21 Intl.
Comments: Robert is certainly producing a great deal of interest in his potential with his goal scoring exploits this season. Having been extremely highly regarded as a 16 year old, he has been followed with cautious interest by a number of Premier clubs over the past couple of seasons. It is most likely that the Cardiff management will have to decide if they can afford to hold on to a valuable asset in the near future.
7.
Name: Lee Fowler
Current Club: Coventry City (Eng)
Date of Birth: 10/06/1983
Position: Midfielder
Previous Clubs: None
Honours: Schoolboy and Youth.
Comments: Lee is certainly a new name to the list this season. In some ways it may be unfair of me to put such high expectations on someone who is not yet 18 years old. However, his position here does seem warranted, as he is very highly regarded at Coventry, to such an extent that some believe he will be challenging for a first team place before the end of the season. All Welsh supporters will heartily welcome such progress, and anticipate another player to provide quality in the squad.
8.
Name: Daniel Gabbidon
Current Club: Cardiff City (Eng)
Date of Birth: 08/08/1979
Position: Defender
Previous Clubs: West Bromwich Albion
Honours: Youth and U-21 Intl.
Comments: Daniel falls down a couple of steps from that of last season, but his potential toward reaching international level is still a good possibility. His move to Cardiff, as in the case of Rhys Weston, gives him the benefit of regular first team football. This may seem a slight backward step after having made a number of first team appearances at West Brom during the first half of last season. Injury and a subsequent loss in confidence abruptly stopped his progress. Now he seems to be moving in the right direction again, becoming an important member of an impressive Cardiff team.
9.
Name: Leyton Maxwell
Current Club: Stockport County (Eng) / on loan from Liverpool
Date of Birth: 03/10/1979
Position: Midfielder
Previous Clubs: None
Honours: Schoolboy, Youth and U-21 Intl.
Comments: Leyton has been loaned to Stockport for the entire 2000/2001 season. Again this provides a young Welsh player the benefit of increased first team football. Leyton is also one with somewhat mixed results as many of his appearances are as a substitute. His progress through the Liverpool youth system, along with comments attributed to some of the coaches, suggested his ability to succeed at top level could be a good possibility. He is certainly a player that Wales will need in the future if he can take the steps toward this goal.
10. / Equal
Name: Danny Slatter
Current Club: Chelsea (Eng)
Date of Birth: 15/11/80
Position: Midfielder
Previous Clubs: None
Honours: Youth and U-21 Intl.
Comments: Danny seems to be a regular in the Chelsea reserve team these days, having made many appearances during the past two seasons. This is regarded as a positive sign at a club with such a large and high quality squad. In many ways Danny’s interests could possibly be better served at a club where he could get regular first team football, but he has time on his side for now, and that first team opportunity may soon come in the Premier league.
10. / Equal
Name: Ian Hillier
Current Club: Tottenham Hotspur (Eng)
Date of Birth: 26/12/79
Position: Wing Back
Previous Clubs: None
Honours: Schoolboy and Youth.
Comments: Ian has also been a regular reserve team player at Tottenham for the past two seasons, his performances having been quite impressive at times. He has been involved in the first team squad at times this season, leading one to feel there may a Premier league appearance on the horizon. Should this become a reality and if Ian continues to move his career forward, he will be another who can add to that quality depth all Wales supporters yearn for.
Having hopefully given some Wales supporters a little enjoyable reading with the comments above, I will offer some further names without providing a chronological order. Ryan Green (Wolves), Stuart Roberts, Lee Jenkins (both Swansea), Kevin Evans, Josh Low (both Cardiff), Matthew Tipton (Oldham), and Steven Roberts (Wrexham) are other players deserving a mention in a list of young Welsh players who may add an important contribution to the Wales senior team in the future. Jamie Attwell (Tottenham), Rhys Day (Man. City) Jermaine Easter (Wolves) Kevin Gall (Newcastle) Rhodri Jones (Man. United), and Ryan Valentine (Everton), are all players who completed their qualification for the U-18 team this season, making reasonable progress at their respective clubs, hopefully gaining further international honours in the future.
John Lloyd Jones
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