Nottingham Forest will have three players returning early from the World Cup after Wales crashed out of the tournament at the group stage.
Neco Williams, Brennan Johnson and Wayne Hennessey were all part of Rob Page’s squad who made history by being the first Wales team to compete in the finals of the competition since 1958. But the team’s time in Qatar came to an end earlier than they may have hoped.
After a draw against the USA and a loss to Iran, Wales knew that only a win over England would see them progress to the last 16. Hennessey was forced to sit out the game due to suspension after his red card vs Iran, but Williams was named in the starting line up, while Johnson was on the bench.
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Williams was part of the side to keep England quiet in the first half, although he picked up an injury in blocking a thunderous Marcus Rashford shot. After receiving treatment, the full-back continued, only to go down again a few minutes later.
He was replaced by Connor Roberts after 36 minutes. Despite a reduced time on the pitch, WalesOnline still rated the Forest man’s opening half an hour, with the defender being scored a five out of 10.
“Put his body on the line. Literally. Took a shot full in the face from Rashford, which eventually caused him to be subbed,” was the assessment on Williams’ performance.
“Was largely chasing shadows. Lost Rashford a little too easily for that early chance, with Ward coming to the rescue. Nevertheless, his presence was missed when he was forced off just before half-time.”
Johnson was a half-time substitute for Wales, replacing the nation’s talisman Gareth Bale after he picked up a slight injury in the first half. However, the Forest academy graduate couldn’t help his team pull off an upset.
Second half goals from Marcus Rashford (x2) and Phil Foden gave England a commanding 3-0 win, with Johnson unable to make the impact he would have hoped to. The Forest man scored a four out of ten in WalesOnline’s player ratings.
The assessment read: “Some promising flashes, but aside from a couple of blocked shots, couldn't really make anything happen.”
While the players would have been disappointed to exit the competition at the earliest possible stage, it now means that they can return to Forest quicker. The Reds are back in action on Wednesday, 21 December when they take on Blackburn Rovers in the Carabao Cup - the game comes three days after the World Cup final.
What did you think of the duo's performances vs England? Tell us in the comments section
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