4. 90-second Statements

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:32 pm on 17 April 2024.

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Photo of Alun Davies Alun Davies Labour 3:32, 17 April 2024

I'm grateful to you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Every so often, a superstar appears. Jess Fishlock is such a superstar. April the ninth marked a milestone moment, when Jess Fishlock led her country into the qualifier against Kosovo and became the first Wales player to win 150 Welsh caps. We should all congratulate here on this achievement. It means that she will have featured in 65 per cent of all Cymru games since the Welsh team were fully endorsed by the Football Association of Wales in 1993. It's an extraordinary statistic and something that she should be very, very proud of. Just a few days earlier, Jess had broken Gareth Bales' Welsh goal scoring record, as Wales beat Croatia 4-0 at Wrexham Racecourse. 

Both achievements are testament to an exceptional player who has raised the bar and inspired all around her since making her international debut at the age of 16. There isn't a player more deserving to hold these records, because it's not just that she's a superstar at home in Wales, but globally as well. And it's not just her skills on the field that make her such an inspiration to a younger generation of players, but it's also her advice and her attitude. She's a global superstar who has never forgotten her Welsh roots. But she's done more than that. She's supported and helped the LGBTQ+ community on and off the pitch. When she was awarded her MBE, it was to women's football and to the LGBT community, and she was named the Stonewall sports champion as well in December 2020. We should all join together and congratulate Jess Fishlock on what she has achieved for Wales and for the community she represents. Thank you.