Harry Wilson: Liverpool loanee eyes Cardiff City promotion and Euros with Wales
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Harry Wilson: Liverpool loanee hopes to give Cardiff City 'different dimension'
Harry Wilson has two main objectives this season: help Cardiff City win promotion to the Premier League and play for Wales at next summer's European Championship.
It's always useful to set yourself goals, though the attacking midfielder on loan from Liverpool has stronger incentives than most for his.
The last time he was vying for promotion from the Championship he missed out in agonising fashion, losing in the 2019 play-off final while on loan at Derby County.
And the last time Wales were at a major tournament at Euro 2016, Wilson was in France but there as a fan, three years after becoming his country's youngest senior international.
Over the next nine months, the 23-year-old hopes to address both those gaps in his CV.
"That's definitely the aim for me," Wilson says of his two targets.
"It's something I set myself going over to France in 2016 as a fan - I was desperate to make sure the next time it came around I was there as a player.
"I managed to play my part in the qualifiers to get us there [Euro 2020]. We had the disappointment of it getting delayed this year but next year, as a team and an individual, I'll be raring to go.
"As many games I can get and as many goals I can score with Cardiff will help me get there.
"In my last Championship season I had the disappointment of missing out at the final hurdle, losing in the play-off final, so personally I'm desperate to go one step further."
Wilson has certainly started as he means to go on, scoring on his first start for Cardiff in Wednesday's draw against his former club Bournemouth.
Cardiff are the fifth side Wilson has joined on loan from Liverpool, an increasingly common story for young players pushed to the fringes at top clubs.
Wilson is particularly eager to play regularly in order to further his international prospects.
He is a well-established member of Wales' squad with 19 caps and three goals to his name but, with the likes of Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey, David Brooks and Daniel James vying for the same positions as him, competition for first-team places is fierce.
So for Wilson it is vital he plays. Having impressed on loan in the Championship with Hull City and Derby, the North Walian spent last season in the Premier League with Bournemouth and scored seven goals.
He was then linked with a permanent move to Burnley, so there were a few raised eyebrows on transfer deadline day last Friday when Cardiff managed to sign Wilson on a season-long loan.
"I feel this season was a massive one for me. I knew personally I had to get the games and the minutes that I wanted and, at Liverpool, I felt I wasn't going to get that," Wilson explains.
"So I wouldn't say I was desperate to get out but I was really keen to rack up the appearances and minutes that I wanted.
"When I sat down with my agent and discussed the teams that were in for me, we thought Cardiff would be a good fit.
"You look around the stadium here and quality of players, it's a Premier League club. I'm desperate to play my part in getting us back up there."
Cardiff boss praises Harry Wilson and Joel Bagan
Cardiff were promoted to the Premier League in 2018 but lasted just a single season before dropping back down to the Championship.
Several other clubs wanted to sign Wilson on deadline day, with Derby, Nottingham Forest, Reading and Cardiff's arch rivals Swansea City also vying for his signature.
Wilson chose Cardiff and, having discussed his options with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, he feels he made the right choice in leaving the Premier League champions.
"I spoke with Jurgen at the beginning of the season and I let him know that I wanted to be playing football and he agreed," Wilson says.
"He said a player at the stage of my career now, he knew I had to be playing and with the quality of the squad they've got at Liverpool I wasn't going to get the minutes I needed.
"So as soon as I had that chat with him, I knew we were both on the same page and then it was all about finding a club that would take me and where I would feel I could show people the type of football I like to play.
"I'm here at Cardiff now and I'm desperate to get them in the Premier League."