Wales to 'step out of the shadows' with Euro 2025 qualification

Hannah Cain (left) scored Wales' opening goal of the night in Dublin

Wales great Helen Ward says the women's team qualifying for a first major tournament will leave a lasting legacy that will see the game attain new levels in the nation.

In a nail-biting second leg of the Euro 2025 play-off final in Dublin, goals from Hannah Cain and Carrie Jones saw Wales edge Republic of Ireland 3-2 on aggregate and book their place in next summer's finals in Switzerland.

Former Wales striker Ward, who retired as a player in 2023 after scoring 44 goals in 105 international appearances, believes the achievement of Rhian Wilkinson's side will have a similar impact to the Welsh men's team's qualification for Euro 2016.

"The journey that this squad and this country has been on in terms of women's football, for it to finally happen, it's everything," Ward told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.

"It does so much, it's probably quite hard to quantify it at the moment, and in pre-match and the build-up I talked about the impact the boys had in 2016 on the nation and football as a sport - it overtook rugby, rightly or wrongly, but it seems to have done that.

"And for the women and the girls I feel that this is that moment, it's our moment."

After near misses in qualification for the past three major tournaments, Ward believes that Wales finally getting over the line will see the women's game reach new heights.

"For so long we've been almost living in the shadows and we haven't quite taken that next step, and this is it," Ward added.

"It's going to increase participation, it's going to increase attendances, it's going to increase interest, sponsorships and commercial.

"But the most important thing is for those girls who are part of that and go to the Euros, it just elevates their own careers and that's what comes of it, and that's what's then going to inspire the young girls to try and do the same."

After a 1-1 draw in the play-off final first leg in Cardiff, Republic of Ireland started the second leg as favourites in front of a crowd of 25,832.

But Wales rose to the occasion, Cain converting a penalty after VAR had intervened by ruling Republic of Ireland defender Anna Patten had handled the ball, before substitute Jones surged through to double the visitors' lead.

Patten’s late header gave Ireland hope, but Wales survived eight minutes of nerve-jangling additional time to seal the greatest achievement in their history to date.

"They put their bodies and souls on the line and when the moments came - the penalty from Hannah and Carrie Jones going one-on-one - when those big moments arrived, they were there to take them," Ward said.

"Big moments need big players and that's what Wales had last night."

Wales now await the draw on Monday, 16 December to see who they will face in Switzerland, having at last earned a place at Europe's top table.