Wales skipper Ben Davies hopes to lead his side to a historic victory against England at Wembley, a result that could lift the team’s confidence before their decisive World Cup qualifier against Belgium. The clash takes place on Thursday, just four days ahead of their Group J fixture in Cardiff.
Wales are currently third in their group, chasing Belgium in second and North Macedonia at the top. A positive result against England would provide a major boost in their pursuit of a World Cup spot.
“We’re playing against a top 10 nation in the world, a very good team,” said the 32-year-old Wales skipper. “Ultimately we want to test ourselves against the best teams to be ready for when we play another very good team on Monday night.”
Thursday’s game will also mark Davies’ 99th international appearance for Wales.
Remembering the 1977 Upset
The last time Wales celebrated a win over England in their own backyard was in 1977, when Leighton James converted a penalty in a 1-0 triumph. Davies is eager to match that moment, though it hasn’t been the team’s primary focus.
“It’s definitely in the back of our minds,” said the Tottenham Hotspur defender. “Every game against England is going to be competitive. There’s a big sense of pride on the line in these games, but we’re really looking forward to it. We want to come here and win, even though it’s a friendly. I think it’s a good opportunity for us to test ourselves to show what we can do, but there’s that competitive edge to it too.”
Carrying Lessons From the Past
Davies has faced England three times, including a 2-1 defeat at Euro 2016 — a loss that still stings.
“The 2016 one, it still hurts the last-minute goal to concede, but in that one we were playing a game more result-dependent,” he said.
“We’re very lucky in this team that we have incredible guys all across the board, players that come in, players that maybe don’t play every single time but show their best foot every time they come in. It’s just a fun environment to be around. We enjoy each other’s company on the pitch, off the pitch. It feels like playing with your mates at times. So when you do get out on that pitch you know that you’ve got each other’s backs whatever is thrown at us.”
Davies was also part of the Wales teams that lost 3-0 to England at both the 2020 Wembley friendly and the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
“They’re games that we know we’re playing against top opposition but we felt like we could have done a lot better and given a much better account of ourselves. So they’re games that stay in the memory,” he added.
“Hopefully we have a better chance tomorrow [Thursday].”
Final Preparations Before Belgium Test
This friendly is more than just a tune-up match. It’s an opportunity for Wales to fine-tune their strategy and build rhythm before the crucial Belgium qualifier.
“As a squad, we’ve worked hard this week, we’ve looked at the qualities that these teams have and feel like we’re as prepared as we can be,” he said. “So we want to come out here, show our identity, show what we can do and what we’ve done against other teams and hopefully have a good performance.”
A victory over England would not only end a decades-long drought at Wembley but also set the tone for the must-win Belgium match in Cardiff.
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