Pinatar Cup: Development 'potentially more important' than winning - Sophie Ingle

Wales captain Sophie Ingle says focusing on developing as a team during the Pinatar Cup is "potentially more important" than winning.

Ingle, 31, captains the team at the tournament in south east Spain, in which they will play the Philippines, Iceland and Scotland over seven days.

Wales had hoped to be spending this week playing for a spot in the 2023 Women's World Cup, but October's defeat to Switzerland ended their chances.

"It's lovely to be back," said Ingle.

"It's nice after a long break away from Welsh camp to get back to work and put the Wales jersey on.

"Obviously we want to win [the Pinatar Cup], but we have to develop as a team.

"I think that is potentially more important than winning at the moment.

"The winning will come if we keep developing as a team and working on the things we identified from the last campaign we need to work on.

"It's always busy here, playing three games in seven days is crazy, but that's how we will learn as a team."

Wales' agonising extra-time defeat to Switzerland in Zurich saw them miss out on the final play-off round for this year's World Cup.

Fabienne Humm's 121st minute goal booked Switzerland's place in the competition, and sent Portugal to New Zealand where they will play Cameroon or Thailand on 22 February to complete qualification.

As a result, Wales' wait for a place at a major tournament continues, despite notable improvements in recent years.

Up first for Wales in Pinatar on Wednesday evening is the Philippines, who despite being ranked 53rd in the world ended their wait for World Cup qualification in 2022 and will travel to Australia and New Zealand in July to appear on the main stage.

"We've never faced them [The Philippines] before and those games can be tricky sometimes as you don't know what to expect," Ingle said.

"It's hard to see on the video what type of team they are but it is more about us and how we prepare for them and focus on ourselves.

"Obviously we are doing well as a nation and it's just going to keep rising.

"Over the last couple years, us and the organisation [Football Association of Wales] have come to some great agreements on and off the pitch.

"We now just have to do everything we can on the pitch to get results."

Evans grown into 'key starter' for Wales

Gemma Evans made her Wales debut against Norway in 2016

Only Jess Fishlock's colossal 136 caps for Wales can eclipse the 122 won by Chelsea's Ingle.

Helen Ward and Angharad James join Fishlock and Ingle as fellow Wales centurions in the squad out in Spain.

Though still some way off 100, defender Gemma Evans could win her 50th cap should she appear in two of the three games in Pinatar.

Manager Gemma Grainger described Evans as "an inspiration" ahead of the tournament, and Ingle said she has seen her develop into a fundamental part of the Wales team.

"She [Gemma Evans] has grown massively over the last year or two as a player," Ingle said.

"She is more demanding, she's talking all the time where maybe she lacked that in the past maybe due to her age or knowing the role.

"But now she's one of our key starters, and with that left foot of hers she can ping a pass to anywhere she wants on the pitch.

"She's also demanding the back line and keeping them in check, as well as the midfield in front of her!"

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