Fishlock 'at top' of list of Welsh sport's greats

International friendly: Wales v Australia

Venue: Cardiff City Stadium Date: Saturday, 25 October Kick-off: 14:00 BST

Coverage: Live on iPlayer and BBC One Wales, BBC Sounds, BBC Radio Wales and Radio Cymru, the BBC Sport website and app, plus live text commentary.

Wales bid farewell to Jess Fishlock this weekend with captain Angharad James believing the midfielder sits "at the top" of the list of the nation's sporting greats.

Fishlock will play her 166th and final game for Wales when they face Australia in a friendly at the Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday.

The 38-year-old, her country's most-capped footballer and 48-goal leading scorer, announced earlier this month that this fixture would be her last Wales appearance.

James says Fishlock will be remembered as a player who "changed the game massively" with her contribution across 19 years as an international footballer.

"It's going to be strange without her and I think the legacy that she will leave, she'll leave her shirt in a better place," James said.

"I think what she and Gareth Bale have done for Welsh sport over the years is incredible.

"I think Bale left his legacy within the [men's international] group and Jess will do the exact same thing for us. She's fought so hard for us, she's fought so much in the past, too, to create the environment that we've got now."

Having made her Wales debut in 2006, Fishlock crowned her international career by playing at Euro 2025, the first women's major tournament in the nation's history.

Fishlock decided in the wake of the Euros that she would call time on her Wales career, though she is still aiming to play on for another year with club side Seattle Reign.

She will say her Wales goodbyes in the team's first fixture since they exited the European Championship at the group stage.

Head coach Rhian Wilkinson says Fishlock will start the game but suggested she will be substituted at some point so "we can appreciate her appropriately".

Asked where she thinks Fishlock stands in the list of Wales' greatest sportspeople, Wilkinson said: "I thought you were going to say not just Welsh.

"Jess happens to be one of the proudest Welsh sportspeople you'll ever meet, but she would have been great whatever country she came from.

"But had she played for a bigger nation the accolades would never end.

"She's a fantastic leader and a fantastic athlete. She's been an amazing ambassador for Wales and she will continue to be. I have no doubt that that will not end just because she stops playing for Wales."

Fishlock will be the second senior figure to say goodbye to Wilkinson's squad after forward Kayleigh Barton, who retired in August having won 89 caps.

Wales are without another seven members of their Euro 2025 squad in this international window, with Soffia Kelly, Josie Green, Ella Powell, Rhiannon Roberts, Lily Woodham, Rachel Rowe and Esther Morgan all injured.

Wilkinson says it "feels like a transitional camp" given that there are five new faces - Annie Wilding, Gwen Zimmerman, Scarlett Hill, Amy Richardson and Mia Ross - with Wales for the first time.

Three more uncapped players in Poppy Soper, Teagan Scarlett and Tianna Teisar are also hoping to win first senior caps, either against Australia or in Tuesday's friendly against Poland in Newport.

James says Fishlock's goodbye makes this "a sad time for the women's game in general", but she is optimistic about Wales' prospects despite the loss of their star player.

"We have an exciting group of players coming through," said 31-year-old James.

"I think one thing that we were disappointed with at the Euros was that maybe we weren't our best in the three games that we had there.

"I think now it's refreshing that we've come back, we've had time to reflect and we've got a new and exciting group and a group that's here for the future."

Australia, who reached the semi-finals of the 2023 World Cup before losing to England, are 15th in the Fifa world rankings, 17 places higher than Wales.

Chelsea striker Sam Kerr is set to feature for the Matildas for the first time since 2023 after injury problems.

"We've played Nations League A as well as the Euros, so we've been playing some fantastic opposition and Australia are another one of those [top sides]," Wilkinson said.

"They've got some huge names who play across the world and they've got a new coach [Joe Montemurro] who's had I think two camps before this, so he's bedding in his ideas. They're going to be an exciting team now and in the future."