Cassia selected for full national women’s squad
AYOUNG local football star is celebrating a call-up to the Wales Women’s senior squad.
Cassia Pike, 16, from Porthmadog, has been included in Jayne Ludlow’s 26-strong party for this weekend’s A and B international friendlies against the Netherlands.
The games will take place in Amsterdam as the hosts prepare for the UEFA Women’s Euro finals in the Netherlands later this month.
The A team friendly will take place on Saturday, with a more experimental side expected to line up for the B team match the following day.
Holland will then open the finals on Monday, July 17, against Norway, one of the teams to qualify for the finals at Wales’ expense in Group 8.
The fixtures follow on from a positive double-header for Ludlow’s squad against Portugal recently, with Wales claiming an impressive 2-1 victory against another side that will compete in the Euro finals, before slipping to a 1-0 reverse in the second game.
Pike, an Ysgol Eifionydd student, plays for Liverpool Reserves and has previously represented her country at U15, U16 and U17 level and is currently involved in a Wales U19 camp.
She can play as an out-and-out striker or on either wing.
“I am honoured with the selection and I’ve been working hard for this,” said Pike. “I feel like it’s a massive achievement and I am looking forward to the experience of being involved with the full Wales squad in Holland.”
Pike, along with another Ysgol Eifionydd girl, Everton’s Shannon Dukes, has represented Wales at various age levels.
Another young North Walian to make the full Wales squad is 16-year-old Elise Hughes of Hawarden.
A centre-forward with Everton, she has played for Wales at under16 and U17 level.
She said: “I am delighted and grateful for such a big opportunity at a young age and this is by far my biggest and proudest achievement.”
It is encouraging for North Wales women’s football to see youngsters like Pike and Hughes invited into the full Welsh senior set-up.
Lauryn Lyons from Hawarden, who plays for Cardiff City FC Women, was chosen for the recent internationals with Portugal, but had to pull out with a knee injury.
Lyons, 17, had an operation last week and is now on the road to recovery.
There will be some familiar faces in the Dutch squad for Wales, with Shanice van de Sanden playing her club football alongside Natasha Harding and captain Sophie Ingle for Liverpool. In addition, Dutch captain Mandy van den Berg is a team-mate of Charlie Estcourt, Melissa Fletcher and Rachel Rowe at Reading FC.
Full Wales squad for Holland: Claire Skinner, Laura O’Sullivan, Loren Dykes, Hannah Miles, Sophie Ingle, Gemma Evans, Hayley Ladd, Rhiannon Roberts, Shaunna Jenkins, Alice Griffiths, Amina Vine, Angharad James, Georgia Evans, Bronwen Thomas, Nadia Lawrence, Kayleigh Green, Chloe Lloyd, Gwen Davies, Elise Hughes, Melissa Fletcher, Chloe Chivers, Natasha Harding, Peyton Vincze, Ffion Morgan, Cassia Pike, Lily Woodham.