Gemma Grainger: Wales boss signs new deal until 2027

Wales manager Gemma Grainger has extended her deal to remain in charge of the national side until 2027.

Grainger succeeded Jayne Ludlow as boss in March 2021 and took Wales to a first major tournament play-off final, where they were defeated 2-1 by Switzerland.

Grainger's new deal is reward for her efforts with Wales as she had attracted the interest of club sides.

"I'm delighted to have signed a new contract and extend my journey working with this special group," she said.

"I'm an ambitious coach, these players are ambitious and the FAW are ambitious, so all those things are a great match.

"We want to drive our progress and momentum from the last qualifying campaign, both on and off the pitch, and take that forward into the new year and the next two qualifying campaigns."

Grainger, 40, took over as Wales boss after working for the Football Association across the England development teams for 11 years, with her previous deal running until 2025.

Football Association of Wales [FAW] chief executive Noel Mooney told BBC Sport Wales in December that talks over a new contract had begun with Grainger because of the interest being shown in her.

Grainger's tenure as Wales boss has been successful, despite her side falling short in their bid to qualify for a first major tournament.

Wales finished second in their World Cup qualifying group and reached a play-off for the first time, falling at the last hurdle in the final as they were defeated 2-1 by Switzerland in Zurich.

Wales regularly broke their attendance record during the campaign, culminating in a crowd of 15,200 at the Cardiff City Stadium witnessing their 1-0 play-off win over Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Mooney is confident Wales are set for further progress under Grainger's management.

"We have made huge strides with the Women's National Team and our focus now is firmly on qualifying for Uefa Euro 2025 and the 2027 FIFA World Cup.

"This group has captured the imagination of the Welsh public and we have no doubt they will break new glass ceilings for Welsh football in the coming years."

Mooney's confidence in Grainger was echoed by FAW chief football officer David Adams.

"Gemma has demonstrated her ability to effectively develop this talented team, and during the World Cup qualification campaign we have seen tremendous progress both on and off the field," he added.

"We are confident Gemma can continue this process as we aim to qualify for the Women's European Championships and use this as a catalyst to continue to increase participation across Cymru."

Wales will next be in action when they return to Spain for the Pinatar Cup in 2023.

Wales face Philippines on Wednesday, 15 February, Iceland three days later and Scotland on Tuesday, 21 February.

The competition will help prepare Gemma Grainger's side for their 2025 Women's Euro qualifiers, with the draw for that campaign due in the spring.

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