Ed Turns has been handed the Wales under-21 captaincy for the season.
The 19-year-old was called up to the squad for the first time in March this year and is delighted to be the man chosen to wear the armband.
“It’s something I didn’t expect coming into this camp, it’s a massive honour. When I told my family they were really pleased for me.
“I like to think of myself as a leader and the fact that [Under-21s boss] Matty Jones and his staff have chosen me out of all the lads is really special, I am really happy. We’ve got a few big players in our team so getting to lead us is really nice.”
🗣️ Ed Turns: "It wasn't something I thought about but it's a massive honour and my family were really pleased for me." #TogetherStronger pic.twitter.com/UIDSgzmW32
— Wales 🏴 (@Cymru) September 27, 2022
While Turns’s first game ended in a 2-0 defeat to Austria on Tuesday night, a visit from a national star no doubt made up for it.
“It was a big surprise seeing Gareth Bale in the team meeting last week. It was a weird one as I haven’t seen him in the flesh before, but he had really good things to say about the senior team, how they’re together and what they do to win games.
“[Wales manager] Rob Page was at our game on Saturday, so it was a good opportunity to try and impress for the future, because he loves to bring young players through which is a massive positive.
“You see the likes of [Nottingham Forest’s] Neco Williams making the step up quickly and Rob Page trusting him, it gives you confidence that you can do the same.”