Euro 2020: Rubin Colwill dodged Cardiff City cut to earn Wales selection
- Published
Rubin Colwill has made just six senior appearances for Cardiff City
There were a few eyebrows raised when uncapped youngster Rubin Colwill made Wales' 26-man squad for Euro 2020.
But the meteoric rise of the 19-year-old attacking midfielder is even more incredible when he could have been cut by club side Cardiff City last year.
Cardiff Under-23 manager Steve Morison admits Colwill could have departed.
"A year ago we're... discussing who's going to be retained and released for the upcoming season and Rubin was a discussion," Morison said.
"There was a conversation about Sion Spence, a bit of comparison between the two - who are we going to keep?
"We decided to keep Rubin and let Sion go and find his way elsewhere."
Fellow attacking midfielder Spence was the one who left Cardiff City Stadium, although the 20-year-old was soon snapped up by Premier League side Crystal Palace's Under-23 side and his future also looks bright after seven goals in 17 appearances in the development Premier League 2 Division 2 last season.
But it is Colwill - who has made just six senior appearances for the Bluebirds so far - that the spotlight is currently on, as Wales prepare to begin their Euros campaign against Switzerland in Baku on 12 June, with group games against Turkey and Italy to follow.
The youngster has come up through Wales' age-grade sides but impressed so much in training sessions with the senior team that he got the nod over more senior players such as Tom Lawrence, Rabbi Matondo and Brennan Johnson.
He has seven minutes of international football under his belt after coming off the bench late on to win his first cap in Wednesday's 3-0 friendly loss in France.
Colwill may well get the chance to double his cap tally in Saturday's friendly against Albania, which will be played on the familiar turf of his home Cardiff City Stadium ground.
Whether he proves to be an inspired selection by Robert Page for this campaign, or the experience sets Colwill on the path to become a Wales lynchpin for years to come, time will tell.
"This is the reason we do it, because you allow people like Rubin who has got everything you need to be a professional football player at the highest level in his armoury, he just needs to fine-tune it and work like he's done all season," added Morison, speaking on Friday night's Radio Wales Sport.
"We've gone from that conversation in the first lockdown to watching him come on against France, an all-star team, and he's lining up with people like Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey.
"What a story and I spoke to him yesterday (Thursday) and he just needs to make sure he doesn't forget what's got him there and how he needs to keep on learning and keep on progressing, because this is just the start for him now."
Listen to the full Radio Wales Sport interview on demand on BBC Sounds, plus the rest of Friday's show covering the week's talking points in Welsh sport.