Angharad James: Wales' youngest centurion

Angharad James is the third Wales player to win 100 caps in the same qualification campaign, following record scorer Helen Ward and forward Natasha Harding.

When Angharad James lined up against a wall with the rest of the boys she was playing football with as a kid, she knew the drill. She would be picked last.

She didn't care. For one, she would be playing football, why should she be bothered which team picked her? And secondly, getting picked last was always a one-time thing. The next time they played, she would be one of the first picks. These boys just needed to see her play.

Now the 28-year old from Pembrokeshire is set to become the ninth Wales player to reach 100 caps, doing so at a younger age than the eight players - Loren Dykes, Jess Fishlock, Sophie Ingle, Helen Ward, Natasha Harding, Gareth Bale, Chris Gunter, Wayne Hennessey - to have joined the most exclusive of clubs.

James' timing, as it has been throughout her career with every interception and clever pass, is impeccable, as she brings up her century on Wales' women's biggest ever night, as a record crowd over over 11,000 are expected at the Cardiff City Stadium as Wales bid to secure a World Cup qualifying play-off spot.

That pushes James' personal achievement into the background, perhaps fitting for a player who is always just there, getting on with things.

"She's our unsung hero by a country mile," Wales' record cap holder Jess Fishlock says of James.

"We don't talk about her as much as we should and I've never really understood why that is.

"She deserves all the praise and plaudits, every bit of attention coming her way is what she deserves."

Angharad James on an Arsenal training camp in 2011

A lifelong dream come true

For James it was always sport, it was just unclear which one.

A gifted cricketer - she played internationally as a teen - James' father Clive, a "rugby nut" might have preferred she played rugby, but for James, a mixture of passion and circumstance meant football came first.

"It was when I couldn't play rugby with the boys anymore - I think I was 12 - that was when I turned fully to the football," James recalls.

"I had to join a girls' rugby team and I didn't enjoy it as much, so began to take the football a lot more seriously."

Football had been a passion for a long time. The buzz of showing what she could do, even when she was picked last, never left.

"There weren't many girls in my area playing football, it was more playing with the boys," she said.

"The memories are vivid, you would stand against the wall and two captains would pick and I would be the last one picked, I could guarantee it.

"But it's something special to look back on, because if I played again with the same group of people, the next time we played I would be one of the first to be picked.

"That's quite a special moment actually. I'm sure most of the team experienced the same and I am sure girls today do as well."

Far from being discouraged from playing as a teen, like for example team-mate Sophie Ingle, James received lots of support at secondary school Ysgol y Preseli, where Wales international Joe Allen is also an alumni.

"I have only good memories and the headteacher, Mike Davies, he was very supportive of me and my football career," James remembers.

"I had to miss days of school to train and to travel up to Cardiff or Swansea to fulfil my dreams and he would be the first person pushing me out of the door to send me to training sessions."

Angharad James made her Wales debut in October 2011 against Scotland

'I couldn't cook or clean and wanted to come home'

Around the time most of her friends were considering if they would do A levels and if so which ones, James, a family-orientated, private person from a village in west Wales, was pondering whether to move to Arsenal and give a career as a professional footballer a proper shot.

"It was a hard decision because I couldn't cook, I couldn't clean, my mum looked after me and took me everywhere and was my biggest supporter," James said.

"The move from little Pembrokeshire to London was a big move, a big step and one that wasn't easy, especially being away from my family at such a young age, adapting to adult life.

"That was the most important step. I phoned my dad and asked him to come and bring me home after two weeks.

"He told me to give it one more week and if I still wanted to come home, he would come and get me, but I didn't ring again. I haven't looked back since.

"Being a professional footballer was my dream, I had to chase it."

Angharad James and her Tottenham team-mate Amy Turner announced their engagement on social media on 23 December, 2020

'We call her Benjamin Button'

Now back in the Women's Super League after a spell in America, James has signed with Tottenham Hotspur, her ninth club after spells with Arsenal, Bristol City, Notts County, Yeovil Town, Everton, Reading, North Carolina Courage and Orlando Pride.

However, while the scenery has changed a fair few times with her club, Wales and James have been perfect partners since she made her debut as a 16-year old.

"When I made it to the senior Wales squad, (former players) Loren Dykes and Gwennan Harries were two people who made me feel really welcome," she recalls.

"I don't forget how they made me feel so valued as a player and as a human being.

"I don't forget it and how it made me feel and hopefully I now do it to the younger generation who came into the squad, because I know how it can make you feel and how quickly you come out of your shell and are able to perform if you're supported."

When James joined the Wales squad as a teen, she made an instant impression.

"I remember her first training session, she was 16 but she looked 12 and I remember looking at her, with her big bun on her head, thinking 'who is this kid?'," Wales' record goalscorer Helen Ward remembers.

"But as soon as she got on the ball I realised she had a lot of talent. She's more or less been in the team since. That's why we are coming up for this big number."

Fishlock expects James to eventually beat her appearance record.

"She's the youngest player to reach 100 caps and that says so much about her importance," she added.

"She's by far the most likely to break my appearance record, I'd imagine she is going to smash it, she can go on and on.

"We call her Benjamin Button, because she doesn't look a day older than she did 10 years ago."

Angharad James has scored four times for Wales in her 99 appearances

A special night awaits

James now takes her place as one of Wales football's greats, winning her 100th cap on a night where Wales hope to make history by reaching the World Cup play-offs.

Hot on the heels of the Euros, Wales are set to absolutely obliterate their attendance record of 5,445 - with over 11,000 tickets sold - and James is keen to point out the team comes first.

"Winning my 100th cap is obviously an incredibly special moment, but I try not to think too much about it," James added.

"The game for us as a nation, it is so important, there is just so much at stake.

"My friends and family have been asking for a lot more tickets, that's been the main difference!

"It is hard to focus on the 100 cap aspect when we have a game that can change women's football in Wales.

"That's much more important for me that any recognition for myself."

Will she allow herself even a moment to reflect on the magnitude of her own achievement?

"It will be a proud moment for me and my family, something I could never have imagined doing," she admits.

"When I put on that red shirt for the first time it was an unbelievable feeling, I can still remember it and that feeling, it has never gone away.

"I look forward to every camp, seeing the girls and I look forward to every single match.

"Playing 100 times is amazing, but I would not have been able to do it without the support I've had from so many people."

Once again James puts the spotlight back on others.

You would expect nothing else. The magnitude of her achievement says enough.

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