How Jess Fishlock transformed the Wales national team and inspired the next generation of talent as her nation’s most decorated player.
Jess Fishlock has been the heartbeat of Welsh football for more than a decade. She plays with grit and pride and has become a figure every young footballer in Wales looks up to. Her name carries weight not only for what she has achieved but for how she has done it.
From her first senior appearance in 2006 Fishlock set the standard for professionalism and passion. She became the driving force behind a national team that has grown in confidence and ambition. Every time she pulled on the red shirt she gave everything to the cause and expected the same from those around her.
A Career Full of Records
Fishlock’s list of achievements is long. On 5 April 2017 she became the first Welsh player, male or female, to reach 100 international caps. That milestone reflected her consistency and her love for representing Wales. She went on to earn around 165 caps and score 48 goals before announcing her retirement from international football in October 2025.
Cymru’s most capped player and record goalscorer @JessFishlock has announced that she will retire from international football following this month’s match against Australia.
Diolch am bopeth, Jess. ♥️🏴
— Wales 🏴 (@Cymru) October 15, 2025
She has played in top leagues across the United States, Australia and Europe, with long spells at OL Reign and loan or permanent moves to clubs such as Lyon, Melbourne City, Reading, Glasgow City and AZ Alkmaar. Wherever she played, she carried that same Welsh spirit and brought back experience that lifted everyone around her.
Her technical ability and vision were crucial in countless matches. She read the game with intelligence and led with her voice and her actions. When Wales needed a moment of inspiration she often found it. Her influence goes well beyond numbers or records. You can see it in how she carries herself and how others respond to her. Younger players talk about the lessons they learned just from training alongside her.
Jess Fishlock: More Than a Player
Fishlock’s reach stretches far past the pitch. She has been one of the most vocal figures pushing for better support for women’s football in Wales. Her experience abroad showed her what proper investment and facilities can do for a player’s development. That has driven her to keep asking for more back home, not for herself but for the next generation coming through.
She has also become a guide for her teammates. Players often mention how she checks in with them, how she lifts spirits after tough games and how she never forgets what it feels like to be starting out. That mix of honesty and care has made her someone people listen to even when the message is tough to hear.
The Future Stars of Wales
With Fishlock now retired from international football attention turns to who might carry the torch next. Carrie Jones looks the most likely. After coming through Manchester United she now plays in Sweden with IFK Norrköping and has shown leadership and maturity well beyond her years for Wales.
🏴 Hanes ❤️
Carrie Jones’ goal that sent @Cymru to their first Women’s EURO 🥹#WEURO2025 || #HBD pic.twitter.com/0PnXEDabvB
— UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 (@WEURO2025) September 4, 2025
Elise Hughes, now at Crystal Palace, is another player with huge potential. She has a calmness in front of goal that makes her stand out, while Hannah Cain of Leicester City brings energy and movement that keep defenders guessing. There is a growing sense that the talent pipeline is healthy and that is something Fishlock helped create.
A Legacy That Lasts
Now that Jess Fishlock has stepped away from the international stage she leaves behind far more than just records. She has been a trailblazer, a voice for progress and a standard setter for what it means to represent Wales.
You can already see her influence in how the younger players train, how they speak about the game and how they carry themselves. For Fishlock, success has never been only about what she achieved personally. It has always been about leaving the game in a better place.
Thanks to her, Welsh football has belief, direction and a new generation ready to write the next chapter.
