As a country, Wales has a history of producing quality football players, even if their national team has not always excelled on the international stage or in major tournaments.
Some players have served the Dragons with honour and distinction. Here are the players who have made the most appearances for Wales at international level:
Gareth Bale (111 international caps for Wales)
The former Tottenham and Real Madrid star is considered to be one of the best players that Wales has ever produced. Bale became the world’s most expensive player when he joined Real Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur for a fee of around £85m in 2013.
He won everything there was to win in club football, including the Champions League on five occasions with Los Blancos.
As well as being his country’s most capped player, Bale is also Wales’s top international goalscorer, having scored 41 goals for the national team. His first international goal was in October 2006 against Slovakia in a Euro2008 qualifier.
Bale helped Wales to only their second-ever international competition in 2016, as the Dragons featured at the European Championships.
His performances, including three goals and an assist, saw his team reach the semi-final, but they were defeated 2-0 in the last four by tournament eventual champions Portugal.
Once again, Bale led Wales to a European Championships in 2021. He captained the Dragons at the tournament, which was delayed a year due to the pandemic. Bale led his team to the last 16 of the competition, only for them to fall to a 4-0 defeat against Denmark.
In 2022, Bale played a crucial role in Wales reaching only their second-ever World Cup finals. Unfortunately, the Dragons were eliminated in the group stage, with Bale playing the last game of his professional career in a 3-0 defeat against neighbours England.
Chris Gunter (109 international caps for Wales)
The former Nottingham Forest and Reading full-back enjoyed an international career that lasted from 2007 until 2022. Gunter made his Wales debut at the age of just 17 in a friendly game against New Zealand.
Like Bale, Gunter featured at both Euro 2016 and 2020. The full-back was also selected in Wales’s 2022 World Cup squad but never got on the pitch. In 2017, the full-back was named as the Welsh Player of the Year.
Wayne Hennessey (109 international caps for Wales)
The veteran goalkeeper made his international debut in 2007 in the same friendly against New Zealand in which Gunter made his international bow.
He has since gone on to win 108 more caps for the Dragons. Hennessey was a member of his nation’s squad for Euro2016, Euro2020, and the World Cup in 2022.
@slimethehow Wales vs Poland Wayne Hennessey blooper @Wales 🏴 #nationsleague #wales #poland
Hennessey made his last international appearance for Wales in 2023. However, he is still playing, so he could well add to his caps tally in the future.
Neville Southall (92 international caps for Wales)
Llywelyn2000, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At the peak of his powers, Southall was considered by many to be the best goalkeeper in the world. He played the majority of his professional club career at Everton, where he won the English title twice, the FA Cup twice and the Cup Winners’ Cup.
His performances in Everton’s 1984/85 title-winning campaign saw him join a small band of goalkeepers to win the FWA Footballer of the Year award in 1985.
Southall’s international career spanned from 1982 until 1997. Unfortunately, despite often being in a Wales team full of talented players, Southall never appeared at a major international tournament with the Dragons, as they failed to qualify for any major competitions during his international career.
In 1995, Southall won the BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year after helping Everton to win the FA Cup, despite being well in the veteran stage of his professional football career.
Ben Davies (86 international caps for Wales)
The experienced Tottenham defender has won 86 international caps for Wales, having made his international debut in 2012 in a 2-1 win over Scotland.
Davies’ long international career has included playing at the European Championships in 2016 and 2021 (Euro 2020 was delayed) and the World Cup in 2022.
Ashley Williams (86 international caps for Wales)
The former Swansea centre-back was a stalwart in the heart of the Dragons defence for a long time. Williams made his international debut on 26th March 2008, as his team recorded a 2-0 win over Luxembourg.
Williams’s only experience of a major tournament came at Euro2016, as his team made it all the way to the competition semi-finals, where they suffered a 2-0 loss against eventual winners Portugal.
The centre-back’s last international appearance for the Dragons came in a 1-0 defeat at Hungary in June 2019.
Gary Speed (85 international caps for Wales)
Speed was a vital player in the centre of the park for Wales from 1990 until 2004. He made his last international appearance for the Dragons in a 3-2 defeat against Poland in qualifying for World Cup 2006.
Unfortunately, like some of his counterparts on this list, Speed never appeared in a major international tournament.
After his playing career ended, Speed moved into management, firstly at Sheffield United and then as Wales’ head coach. He helped the Dragons move up the FIFA rankings to 45th in the world. On 21st December 2011, Wales won the ‘Best Movers’ award for 2011.
Unfortunately, Speed passed away on 27th November 2011. The police didn’t consider his death as suspicious. It was later revealed that the Welshman was suffering from depression.
