Stephen Baker (prose) and Andrew Challis (poetry) have joined together to celebrate Cymru’s highest ever goal scorer, Helen Ward. @StephenJBaker and @ChallisMusings
Just as we were all coming to terms with the fact that Gareth Bale and Joe Allen had retired from international football another Cymru legend announced their retirement. Helen Ward, Cymru’s leading scorer with 44 goals, announced that she was also retiring. We all knew that these players were going to retire eventually but I don’t think we were expecting that three of our greatest players ever were going to retire at the same time.
Embed from Getty ImagesOur record goal scorer (male and female) decided to call it a day after presenting Cymru an amazing 105 times. Her final cap was against Scotland in the Pinatar Cup on the 21st February when she came on for Hannah Cain in the 87th minute. Not only will we miss her goals but we will miss a leader on and off the pitch. Someone you can see is looked up to by her fellow players, and of course fans too. A leader who sadly never got to represent Cymru in a major tournament, being so close last year was heartbreaking.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Watford striker earned her first Cymru cap against Luxembourg in September 2008 where Helen scored the second goal in a 6-1 win. Helen’s 44th and final goal came in October 2021 in front of a then record breaking crowd of 5,455 against Estonia. That record was smashed just one year later when she played in her final home game in front of 15,200 fans in the Cardiff City Stadium against Bosnia.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe changes in Women’s football that Helen help lead have been amazing; although there is still a long way to go. When Helen pulled on the Cymru shirt for the first time, could she have had any idea the changes that would happen?
Embed from Getty ImagesHelen retires not just topping the Women’s goal scoring list but the country’s goal scoring lists. A goal scoring record that includes an amazing six goals against Azerbaijan in 2010!
I will end this with Helen’s statement about playing for us but before that I would like to say from all us Cymru football fans to the former Chelsea, Arsenal, Reading, Watford and now sadly former Cymru Striker, a massive;
Diolch Helen! You Cymru legend!
Feature phot, v Austria, from Ailura, CC BY-SA 3.0 AT