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Wales Online

Sport

Ian Mitchelmore

Replacing legends, in-form strikers and emerging talent - the huge calls facing Rob Page as Wales' new era beckons

Rob Page Wales Gareth Bale Joe Allen World Cup Euro Aaron Ramsey Ethan Ampadu Ollie Cooper Paul Mullin

A new era beckons for Wales.

The World Cup came and went in the blink of an eye to bring a disappointing end to what was ultimately a historic year for the Red Dragons.

But now without two key stars in Gareth Bale and Joe Allen following their retirements, Rob Page is required to shuffle his pack and make changes to his squad ahead of the nation's Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.

Wales netted 11 goals in their 12 matches in all competitions in 2022, five of which were scored by Bale who, despite being far from his rip-roaring best before ultimately hanging up his boots, demonstrated he could still deliver big moments.

As for Allen, his importance in midfield has been pivotal for a number of years, and the lack of quality options in his absence is a real concern. Who now operates in that role? Ethan Ampadu? Dylan Levitt? Joe Morrell?

The one huge plus is that Aaron Ramsey has vowed to prolong his international career having played eight consecutive matches for Nice prior to sustaining a hamstring injury in late February, although the French club played down concerns over the extent of the issue.

Discussing his Wales future last month, Ramsey said: "I still feel good, I can contribute a lot, I can't wait to see what the future holds.

"The World Cup was a disappointment, but it is behind us. Now we have to look ahead. The qualifications for the next European Championships are coming up very quickly, and we will do everything we can to qualify.

"We have some very young players, who are playing at the highest level in the Premier League. They are very ambitious, they are aiming for success and want to qualify for the next Euros."

Many of the usual suspects including Ben Davies, Ampadu, Connor Roberts, Joe Rodon, Daniel James and Kieffer Moore will once again be included in the upcoming squad ahead of Wales' opening two Euro qualifiers against Croatia and Latvia.

But which others could be involved? That is the topic on the lips of every member of the Red Wall ahead of Page's squad announcement - which will be made on Tuesday, March 14.

Brennan Johnson could well earn a more prominent role in the side this year, particularly having taken his goal tally to nine for the season with Nottingham Forest as a result of his brace against Everton on Sunday.

Although other forward options have been discussed.

Tom Bradshaw has bagged six times in his last five matches for Millwall and is the joint-fourth top scorer in the Championship season with 13 goals. Indeed, the 30-year-old has always hoped for a return to the international fold having won three caps for his country.

Speaking to WalesOnline in October, the forward, who began his career at Aberystwyth Town, said: "It's something any footballer just doesn't want to give up on. First and foremost you're trying to play well for your club, but you're hoping that, by playing well for your club, scoring goals and performing consistently, you really hope that it catches the eye of Rob Page and the international set-up.

"That's all you can do, that's all you're in control of and that's something I'm really pushing to do."

Paul Mullin, who has notched a staggering 37 goals for Wrexham already this season, has also been the subject of fierce debate, with many arguing his record in front of goal speaks for itself while others feel players operating higher up the football pyramid are more deserving of an opportunity.

His ability can't be questioned while he has already proven he can deliver the goods in the higher leagues, although it still appears somewhat unlikely that we will be seeing Mullin in the red shirt of Wales later this month.

One man who appears virtually certain to be included is Ollie Cooper who has been a shining light in what has become an increasingly frustrating season for Swansea City.

Page was in attendance to watch Cooper, Ben Cabango and Liam Cullen in action for the Swans against Stoke City a fortnight ago and will no doubt have enjoyed the 23-year-old's energy and directness.

Rubin Colwill has struggled for form and fitness this season, although he returned to action after just over a month out in Cardiff City's 2-0 triumph over Severnside rivals Bristol City at the weekend. The same applies to Mark Harris who has not been involved in any of the Bluebirds' last five matches having fallen down the pecking order under Sabri Lamouchi.

The goalkeeper situation remains an interesting one, with Wayne Hennessey featuring just five times for Nottingham Forest since being sent off against Iran in Qatar, and three of those outings came in cup competitions. As for Danny Ward, he continues to be a regular for Leicester City and will no doubt want to regain the number one jersey with Wales having fallen back behind Hennessey last year.

Elsewhere, Aaron Collins, Jordan James, Wes Burns, Nathan Broadhead and Luke Harris are among the other names who will undoubtedly be considered by Page over the coming days, although Tyler Roberts, who was not included in the World Cup squad, appears unlikely to return to the international fold this month as he continues to recover from a calf problem.

Wales face Croatia in Split on March 25 before hosting Latvia at Cardiff City Stadium three days later.