Wales defender Mayzee Davies says missing Euro 2025 through injury has given her extra motivation ahead of her country’s World Cup play-offs.
The 20-year-old Manchester City player suffered an anterior cruciate ligament knee injury on international duty in May 2025, an injury that kept her out of action for 13 months. It meant she was absent for Wales’ historic first ever major tournament appearance, and she is now determined to reach the 2027 World Cup.
“It was so hard,” Davies said of missing the tournament. “It was just so sad for everyone, even in my street, it affected us. I’d just broken through [into the team] and I was 18 going to my first major tournament. It was horrible, and I think everyone close to me felt it. And at the time, I didn’t realise how bad it was until I looked back and went how did I get through that? It was horrendous.”
The defender returned to action with Wales for their final two group qualifiers in June against Montenegro and Czech Republic, and she is clear about what is driving her now. “I want to get to the World Cup because obviously I missed out last time, so I want to feel what it’s like to go to a major tournament with Wales,” she said. “It does give me that extra motivation. I love playing for Wales and I think we’re quite a passionate country anyway. So I think to play in a World Cup for Wales, obviously in Brazil, it would be amazing. Not just for me and my family, obviously coming off the back of the injury as well, I think it would make it extra special if we got there.”
Davies admits the 13-month recovery was tough and that she worried she might never return. “I think once I had the surgery I was literally stuck on the sofa, I couldn’t do anything on my own. I was like, how am I ever going to like be a footballer again at this stage? But I had good people around me, team-mates, my family, and then it does get better. One day you just wake up and you’re like, ‘oh, I can start to walk again now’.”
Wales face Albania in Shkoder on Friday, 9 October, with kick-off at 17:00 BST at the Loro Borici Stadium in the first leg of their World Cup qualifying play-off semi-final. The return fixture follows in Llanelli four days later.
Rhian Wilkinson’s side go into the tie having suffered a host of injury withdrawals, losing a number of key players including Ceri Holland and Hayley Ladd. But Albania sit 37 places below Wales in the Fifa world rankings, and Davies believes there can be no excuses as her team bid to set up a play-off final against either Romania or Norway.
“Obviously this camp we’ve had a lot of injuries to like more experienced players, the usual faces,” she said. “But I think everyone in this group now, you have to make sure all the new people feel a part of the team and feel valued. She [Head Coach Rhian Wilkinson] said at the end of the day, we always respect every opponent we come up against. But this is a must-win game and we can’t dwell on who’s not here. We have to work with who’s here now and obviously everyone has their role and we’ve just got to get the job done.”