Wales scrambles to keep teenage stars from switching to England

Wales has lost one of its most promising young players to England and fears more may follow.

Layla Drury, 17, switched her international allegiance to England earlier this year. She had previously represented Wales at the under-17 level. Drury, a forward from Wrexham, became Manchester United’s youngest ever female goalscorer in January. She has since made eight appearances for the club’s first team.

The Football Association of Wales (FAW) describes the market for retaining talent as increasingly aggressive. David Adams, the FAW chief football officer, told BBC Sport Wales that the organization must protect its assets to secure the future of its national teams. The loss of Drury was a heavy blow because she was a key part of the FAW development system.

Since 2020, the FAW has run development programs for girls aged 11 to 16 in north and south Wales. Thirty-one players train three times a week and play in the FAW’s National Academy boys’ setup. Another 50 players compete in Adran Premier academies and train twice a week with the girls’ development setup. Wales-qualified girls at English academies are invited to regional programs during school holidays. The FAW holds FIFA academy status and focuses on analysis and strength and conditioning.

Many of these players have multi-national heritage or dual qualification. A major challenge is that they often sign for English clubs at age 15 or 16, as there are no top-class women's clubs in Wales. Playing for an English club increases the chance that players will be noticed by England’s international pathway. England has won the Women’s Euros twice in a row and reached the 2023 World Cup final. This success, combined with commercial opportunities, makes the Lionesses a strong draw for young Welsh players.

Kath Morgan, a former Wales captain with 51 caps, currently coaches at Coleg y Cymoedd and acts as an agent for players like Casi Gregson. Morgan said young players are driven primarily by the chance to become professionals and achieve career success. She noted that while finances play a role, the desire for on-pitch success is the primary motivator. Morgan argued that Wales needs more investment in infrastructure to keep players from moving to where resources are more abundant.

Other young players from the FAW system have broken into the senior side. Manchester City’s Mayzee Davies, 20, Manchester United’s Scarlett Hill, 19, and Mared Griffiths, 19, are all in coach Rhian Wilkinson’s squad. Had Drury stayed with Wales, she would likely have earned senior caps, especially after injuries forced Wilkinson to call up youngsters for the World Cup semi-finals against Albania in October. Drury was a late addition to England’s U20 Women’s World Cup squad in September.

FIFA rules state that a player who has featured in a competitive game for one country can only switch nationality once. Because Drury played for Wales Under-17s, she cannot return to Wales in the future. Vera Jones, 18, is another Welsh-born teenager playing for England. She joined Chelsea in 2024 after five years at Barry Town and is currently on loan at Watford. Jones made her England Under-17 debut in 2023 but has not played for Wales, leaving her potentially eligible to switch later.

Adams said the FAW hopes young female players born in Wales will feel a sense of belonging to represent Cymru. The association is working with limited resources to ensure promising youngsters are not tempted away by the greater opportunities in England.