Icon, trailblazer & Wales hero - Fishlock's seismic legacy

Jess Fishlock's Wales section is poised to travel to an extremity pursuing a glorious world profession that has boasted 165 caps and 48 goals.

She will make her 166th and last quality for her state erstwhile Rhian Wilkinson's broadside big Australia astatine Cardiff City Stadium connected 25 October.

The 38-year-old Fishlock was a monumental fig successful nan maturation of a broadside that played successful a awesome tourney for nan first clip successful their history earlier successful 2025.

The grounds goalscorer past netted nan first ever extremity for nan women's broadside connected nan grandest stage, though her singular effect went measurement beyond her on-pitch exploits.

From nan connection go, location was ever thing typical astir Fishlock.

She started her playing profession pinch hometown nine Cardiff City Ladies, now Gwalia United, and swiftly caught nan oculus - making her first-team debut astatine 15.

Having captained Wales Under-19s, Fishlock earned her elder front against Switzerland - a federation wherever almost 2 decades later nan last touch of gloss would beryllium dabbed connected what was to beryllium a sparkling profession - successful 2006.

Only 2 years later, Fishlock made nan determination to subordinate Dutch broadside AZ Alkmaar and became nan first overseas subordinate successful nan Eredivisie.

Her boldness typified that of a female who was arsenic relentless arsenic she was eager from nan very opening of her clip arsenic a footballer.

Despite immoderate struggles successful nan Netherlands, Fishlock was portion of a broadside that claimed back-to-back Eredivisie titles, and it was a motion of things to travel astatine nine level.

Upon returning to Bristol, she was named Women's Super League (WSL) Players' Player of nan Season successful her 2nd run and enjoyed moreover much occurrence successful Australia soon after.

Having joined Melbourne Victory, Fishlock starred arsenic nan Victoria-based broadside reached 2 Grand Finals - winning their first title successful 2013.

An eye-catching move to Seattle Reign successful 2013 proved to beryllium nan catalyst successful making Fishlock a prima connected nan world stage.

She has helped nan nine triumph 3 NWSL Shield titles, and moreover during her indebtedness stints distant from nan American side, of which location person been six successful total, occurrence still followed.

Indeed, nan midfielder tasted further convention glory pinch Glasgow, Melbourne City, Frankfurt and Lyon - winning nan Champions League pinch each of nan second 2 sides.

But nan glut of honours were ne'er replicated connected nan world stage.

Fishlock wasted nary clip successful becoming a cardinal cog nether Andy Beattie, Adrian Tucker, Jarmo Matikainen, Jayne Ludlow, Gemma Grainger and astir precocious Wilkinson.

Though for each of her mesmerising showings, goals, assists and endeavour, tourney qualification proved 1 hurdle excessively galore pinch Wales for nan mostly of her career. Although, thankfully, not for each of it.

The day 3 December 2024 will beryllium everlastingly etched into Wales history.

Following a 1-1 tie betwixt nan sides successful Cardiff 4 days earlier, goals from Hannah Cain and Carrie Jones earned Rhian Wilkinson's broadside a 2-1 triumph complete nan Republic of Ireland successful Dublin to guarantee Wales would astatine agelong past break their tourney duck.

It was nan pinnacle for a squad who had seen icons including Laura McAllister, Jayne Ludlow and Helen Ward - and Neville Southall, Ryan Giggs, Ian Rush and Mark Hughes to sanction a fewer connected nan men's broadside - each neglect to execute their tourney dream pinch Wales.

On nan eve of nan 2025 Euros, Fishlock told BBC Sport Wales: "A large communicative astir my full profession internationally has been, 'Can I get to a awesome tournament?' and 'Can we get to a awesome tournament?' We've been truthful adjacent truthful galore times.

"When you want to execute thing and you get to do it pinch immoderate of your very closest friends, there's really nary comparison to that feeling."

Even successful nan aftermath of their humbling 3-0 conclusion by nan Netherlands successful their title opener successful Switzerland, Fishlock was intent connected ensuring further advancement was nan target.

"This is nan level now, right?" she said. "We've sewage to get utilized to this existent fast."

Not contented pinch adding 1 much portion of history to her ever-increasing database of achievements, Fishlock again took centre shape arsenic she netted a 13th-minute equaliser successful Wales' 2nd group shape lucifer against France successful St Gallen - nan first extremity nan women's broadside had scored successful a awesome tournament.

Aged 38 years and 176 days, nan onslaught made Fishlock nan oldest scorer successful women's Euro finals history.

It was arsenic fitting arsenic it was deserved, fixed nan weight of anticipation she had carried connected her shoulders for nan immense mostly of her clip successful nan reddish of Wales.

It besides demonstrated location was immense value to spell pinch her commendable longevity - pinch Fishlock playing successful 67% of nan 245 world matches ever played by nan Welsh women's side.

Recent Welsh occurrence has brought pinch it accrued anticipation and stronger guidance - pinch Wales' nine-game winless tally crossed their Euro and Nations League A fixtures successful 2025 serving arsenic impervious that they are now connected a full caller level erstwhile it comes to competing pinch nan world's large guns.

But Fishlock simply would not person it immoderate different way.

Fishlock has ne'er shied distant from utilizing her floor plan to speak retired connected her beliefs having travel retired arsenic gay.

In 2018, Fishlock - who joined erstwhile team-mate Tziarra King successful 2023 - was awarded an MBE for services to women's shot and nan LGBT community.

Before nan men's World Cup successful Qatar, Fishlock opened up connected nan value of visibility amid concerns complete nan 2022 tourney big nation's grounds connected cheery rights.

It came aft she had described her acquisition astatine schoolhouse arsenic "hell connected earth" because of maltreatment she received complete her sexuality.

Nevertheless, Fishlock remained wished to usage her level to thief amended others.

Speaking successful 2019, Fishlock said: "I'm not nan only 1 that gets abused. I americium not nan only 1 that gets comments thrown astatine them.

"It's travel information to my family and my sisters and my mum and my dad, truthful erstwhile I made that decision, you cognize I person to deliberation astir different group arsenic good different it's very selfish of me.

"But location really is simply a large picture, and nan bigger image is generations of kids looking astatine a domiciled model, looking astatine what they've achieved and knowing immoderate they are going through."

Following nan friends betwixt Wales and nan United States of America successful July 2023, Fishlock embraced USA icon and Seattle Reign team-mate Megan Rapinoe - who is besides openly gay.

The brace wore each other's nationalist squad garment and posed for photographs - making judge their support for LGBT authorities was beforehand and centre of nan pictures' message.

Such has been Fishlock's effect connected nan crippled itself, a mural covering nan playing area of a five-a-side shot transportation successful Splott, Cardiff, was unveiled successful June to observe her effect connected football, equality and representation.

The Red Wall will get nan chance to observe Fishlock's efforts erstwhile Wales big Australia and Poland successful friendlies later this month.

One point is for certain, nan void near by Fishlock is improbable ever to beryllium filled, aliases her achievements surpassed.

But Wales are unquestionably successful a acold amended spot acknowledgment to nan genuinely astonishing efforts of a subordinate who gave her all, and more, to guarantee she leaves down a bequest for illustration nary other.