Football Daily - Salah to leave Liverpool & Inside the England camp

Episode Date: March 24, 2026

Kelly Cates is joined by Stephen Warnock, Ian Dennis and John Gibbons to react to the news that Mohammed Salah will be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season after nine years at the club.They reflect on his time at Anfield, his impact on the Premier League, and his incredible goalscoring record. We’re in the England camp to hear from Adam Wharton and James Garner with Ian and John Murray at St George’s Park, and in the Wales camp as Chris Wathan speaks to Ethan Ampadu and Karl Darlow ahead of their World Cup playoff against Bosnia Herzegovina. Plus, we focus on the task ahead of Northern Ireland in their playoff away in Italy. TIMECODES: 00:13 – Reaction to Salah’s Liverpool exit 18:37 – St George’s Park with John Murray and Ian Dennis 21:29 – Adam Wharton Interview 31:04 – James Garner Interview 33:09 – Lee Carsley Interview 38:42 – Ethan Ampadu Interview 42:44 – Karl Darlow Interview 47:50 – Italy v Northern Ireland Preview

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Hello, welcome to the Football Daily. We'll be in the England camp shortly and we'll focus on Wales and Northern Ireland ahead a huge week of international football, but we start with the huge news from Anfield. Liverpool has announced that Mohamed Sala will be leaving the club at the end of the season. They've said Muhammad Sala is to bring the curtain down on his illustrious career with Liverpool FC

at the end of the 2025-26 season. The forward has reached an agreement with the Reds that will see him close a remarkable nine-year chapter at Amfield. He expressed his wish to make this announcement to the supporters at the earliest possible opportunity to provide transparency about his future due to his respect and gratitude for them. Our senior football commentator, Ian Dennis, joins us now.

Ian, in some ways, it's a shock, but mostly in terms of the timing, rather than the planned exit. Yes, because I think those who know him have always said to me that he would always leave on his own terms, but it will be farewell to a Liverpool legend. 255 goals, only Roger Hunt with 285. and Ian Rush at 346 have scored more than Mo Sala.

And that's just his goals. You throw in his assists as well, and he's had an incredible 374 goal involvements in 435 appearances. I mean, we are talking of not just a Liverpool legend, a Premier League legend, and an African legend because last week against Galatasaray at Anfield, he became the first African player to score 50 goals.

in the Champions League. So when you talk about greats, then Mo Salah is definitely one of those. Comes away, as you say, with trophies, with that title from the supporters of the Egyptian King. But in terms of when he's leaving, and at the point of career when he's leaving, the point of the club when he's leaving,

it's been a disappointing defence of their Premier League title. There is still, as the club pointed out in the statement, a lot to play for. But Salah's own performances have come in for criticism this season and possibly despite the numbers last season as well. Yes. I mean, he is undoubtedly underperformed this season. Ten goals.

If you compare that to his previous goals tally, 44 in his first season, then 27, 23, 31, 31, 30, 30, 25 and 34. And I think the manner of his departure as well is fitting for his level of his level of service that he's given Liverpool football club over those nine years, but also, as I'm sure you would appreciate Kelly as well, it's fitting for Liverpool as a football club bearing in mind what happened at the end of November and December when he'd had that fallout and there was question marks over his future prior to going to the African Cup of Nations because he was on the bench for those three successive games. The first time, incidentally, that had ever happened

in his Liverpool career. And that just didn't seem right for the departure. of Mo Salah to go with dividing the fan base that cloud of uncertainty whereas this on his terms I will undoubtedly now he will get the send-off that the Liverpool fans

will undoubtedly want to give him when he does depart now on his own terms at the end of the season. Talking of Liverpool fans, John Gibbons from the Anfield Wrap joins us now. John, as Denner was just saying, Mohammed Salah has had an extraordinary nine-year spell at Liverpool in which he's won multiple trophies,

including the Premier League and the Champions League across that time. But there have been fallings out, most notably around the renewal of his contract towards the end of last season, and then into this season as well in terms of whether or not he was selected or being used properly by Arna Slot. So what do you think is going to be the overriding reaction

to this announcement? it's a bit of shock it's a bit of sadness you know if you think with your head you know rather than your heart it's probably the best thing for everyone he's he's our highest pay player and he's you know on a huge salary

and he's not delivering and that will hurt him you know he's got huge high standards of himself and he'll be struggling but you know you watch that video that he's put up on social media and you know it makes you it makes you smile and a little bit tearful because he has just give everybody for this club and all the things that you mentioned there about you know little fallings out

and things like that that'll be that'll be forgotten you know very soon you know it's when he leaves and when he does move on when we talk about most salad it won't be about you know silly things in mixed zones and contracts it'll be about the joy he's giving us the goals he's scored the trophies he's won which is all of them and and just everything he's been a phenomenal player and he'll want to write a few more chapters in the book and and go out on a high and I'm just, I just feel privileged to watch him play

and I'm going to get every minute I can have the rest of his Liverpool career. But like you said, recency biases is very definitely a thing. But once Mo Salah has gone, or now that the supporters know that he's going, there is going to be a real celebration of his time at Liverpool. Can you think back to him joining from Roma,

what the expectations were at that point and what he's become since then? yeah I mean the amphiolat was going then so it was you know we were doing your shows about him coming and I think a few people were excited at cinnamon in Italy but a few others were saying well it's not worked out for him a Chelsea you know is this is this the right move there was a few other forwards linked I think I think he maybe favoured Julian Brands I think it was at the time and but they went for him and and he looked good early but then you know I think it was about October November he really started to explode. And that first season, I've never seen anything like it in terms of a player coming in

and making that impact in his very first year. He was, you know, scoring one, two, three, four even against one home game against Watford. You know, everything he did, the way he played, you know, the cultural phenomenon that was kind of Mo Salah. And he made a big club even bigger. I think it is fair to say. And it takes some going, you know, to do that. This is Liverpool Football Club. But, you know, everyone was thought about us. Everyone wants to watch us. You know, we got to that final at Champions League final in his first year. And so much of that was down to him and how he was

playing. And then there's just a remarkable consistency up to this year that he's shown and his will to win and his desire to win matched with his excellence, his work rate, and all with a beautiful smile on his face, it's been fantastic to witness. John, just tell me a little bit more about that relationship between

Mohamed Sala and the fans in the light of the, as you said, the Instagram post that he's put out. There's been a whole video that's been crafted by the team at LFC TV. The club have announced it on their social media channels and on their website. But Sala himself posted it to his Instagram stories saying, I never imagined how deeply this club, this city, these people would become part of my life. Liverpool is not just a football club. It's a passion.

It's a history. It's a spirit. I can't explain it in words to anyone. not part of this club. We celebrated victory. We won the most important trophies and we fought together through the hardest time in our life. That feeling that that connection that he has is reciprocated thousands, hundreds of thousands of times over, isn't it? Yeah, listen, we adore him and that's genuine from Sally. You feel that every time he steps onto the field. He feels the love, adoration, support of so many supporters and you know

it has to be remembered that the most Sala you know wasn't a superstar at 17 and 18 like some of the players who are you know a similar level to him he's had to go you know the long way round almost you know came to England and and then left and went back you know

your time in Switzerland playing and so I think for him when he when he thinks about his Liverpool team this Liverpool career he maybe couldn't have imagined you know having such a long time of such a huge club scoring so many goals. You know, second to Ian Rush,

and now he's got a great relationship with and speaks to him all the time. And I think he's aware of his place in Liverpool's history. And I think that's what's so special to him. He's someone who studies it. I don't think he quite believe how many goals he has scored. I think he's at one by the recant sometimes. But, you know, how much, you know, he thinks of Rushi,

how much he thinks of your dad and how much he thinks of, you know, Stephen Gerard and players like that, who are who being seen alongside, just means such a huge amount to him. And, you know, the Bonders is really special and it's going to be emotional in his last game. I hope it's a Champions League final in Budapest.

Wouldn't that be something? Because he'll want to go out at the very top. But, you know, his last game at Amfield, I think, you know, will be something really nice. And we really celebrate our legends at Liverpool. I'm not saying other clubs don't. But we really remember those who've helped, you know, give us the feelings that we have as supporters.

you know, if he's 99% sure how we feel about him, then he's going to be 110% when we're done this season because his name's going to be sung, it's going to be rung out, and I'm going to take my lad who's six to every game because he's downstairs really upset lesson because he's his hero, who's his first hero. And, you know, I got to watch most honour with my dad and I get to take my boy now, and he's worth it to watch on his own.

Former Liverpool left back, Stephen Warnock, is also with us. John Gibbons from the Anfield Rapp staying with us. Stephen, have we started off by talking with John? It's not necessarily

a huge shock that Sala will be leaving at the end of the season, but it is a surprise that it's being announced now and it doesn't take away from the bombshell news that has been announced.

No. I think it's one of those situations where it's almost taking it out of the club's hands or the way that dealt with it or the manager's hands next season as to how you sort of, if he's not on top form,

how you integrate him into the team or sort of phase him out of his his Liverpool career. So, yeah, I think the timing of it's interesting. Similar happen with Yeorg and Klopp. I think basically what happens is if someone gets hold of it and they don't want them to release it, they want to release it on their own

terms and there's so many people now on social media desperate to be the first one to break a story. And Liverpool and Mo Salah have thought, well, let's let's beat them to it, let's do it ourselves. And it'll be interesting to see how it plays out from now until the end of the season, because I think when Juergen Klopp announced he was leaving,

it felt like every single game was a fanfare and everyone wanted to go to the game and watch. And it didn't really end the season, the way that everyone wanted it to with a fairy tale ending, whether Mohammed Tallah can change that. And like John says, get to a Champions League final and win that final will be very interesting. interesting to see.

Stephen, just processing the statements that have been put out, the video that's been put out by seller, in the club statement, they say that he's reached an agreement with Liverpool that will see him close a remarkable nine-year chapter at Amfield. Is that a bit of a surprise? The fact that because he has two years on this deal, that's what we understood, is that he would have a two-year deal and not just to sell him at the end of this. Yeah, well, I think that's the interesting part, isn't it? Because if you, If, like we say, we're talking reports and you're talking around about 400 grand a week, it's an awful lot of money to sort of just turn away from from Mohammed Salas' point of view,

but also from the club, if you've got a year left and the agreements reached, usually there would be a payout included in that to release you from your contract, almost buy you out your contract. So I wonder what the two parties have come to agree, whether there's an offer somewhere else already that he's, pre-agreed, whether that's obviously a lot of talk about Saudi and whether they're the country

that will pay the most money to him, but he knows he can go elsewhere and earn the same if not more. It's all speculation, it's all but to maybe is at the moment, we don't know until he announces it fully, but I think it's an interesting one from Liverpool's side

if they are willing to allow them to leave on a free transfer when potentially they could have got, what was it, they were talking 100 million last year. That's financially for the club. That's a huge loss. But they will probably look at it and think

what they're saving on the wage bill every single week will be enough in itself. Stephen, how future-proofed are Liverpool against the departure of Mohammed Sala? Having spent a lot of money over the summer and yes, lost players in that time, and they had a 33-year-old winger in Mohammed Sala who had signed a two-year-old.

extension. Have they got a replacement ready and waiting or are they going to need to go in and try to replace someone who certainly in terms of his numbers looks irreplaceable? Yeah, that's the tough thing, isn't it? Because the big thing is, I mean, whether it was your dad or whether it's Gerard or Suarez, they always say, oh, he's irreplaceable. Well, they aren't irreplaceable because someone always comes along and does similar things and scores huge amounts of goals

and they find that they fit in at a football club. The issue is trying to find that player and trying to find them a decent fee. If you think what? Mahmater cost, he cost £30 million or £35, whichever it was. It's incredible deal. The answer to your question, do they have a replacement now in the squad?

Absolutely not. No, they don't. However, are they going to continue to play a 433? is that going to adapt over time and was that the long-term thinking bringing Eka TK and ESAC and ESAC in and then VIRTS in behind

and VIRT plays as almost the number 10 behind the two number nines so we don't know we don't I mean one of the things that we don't know at the moment is will Arna Schlott be there next year there's a lot of talk around that situation as well so whether it's on a slot who has to find a solution or

whether it's a new manager, we'll have to wait and see as well, because that is another thing that's going to be up for debate. If Liverpool do crash out the Champions League against Paris and Juman in the next few weeks, and they don't win against Manchester City

in the FA Cup, suddenly things look a lot bleak, a lot, or very bleak for the football club, and it won't just be the Mohammed Tala situation. They're trying to find someone a replacement for. It'll also be the manager. Well, they've had to, John, find replacements for Mino and Amani

and that famous front three that Mohamed Sala was part of with the third of them going with Trent Alexander Arnold leaving last summer, does it feel as though this is coming to the end of a cycle for Liverpool? Is it the end of an era?

Yeah, I think it's all part of it. Listen, you know, that classic team, 2018 to 20, so many of them have moved on now. And, you know, most Sala will be the next one in the summer, I think, along with Andy Robertson, and then it's just a couple of them left, really.

But, you know, as Stephen says there, you know, when legends go, it's time for new ones to emerge. And, you know, these signs that we made in the summer, you know, a couple of them are showing signs that they can fill these boots. And we support them. That's what you do as fans. You get behind, you know, the new guys, you support the boys in red, and you hope they can emulate the superstars that came before them, and you've got to give them every chance.

You know, they're standing on the shoulders of giants, but so with that team. So, you know, that great Yen Klop side, and the best ones, you know, rise up to it, and the best ones are inspired by the crowd and inspired by the stories. And that's what Mosella was all about. He understood the history of Liverpool, and he wanted to write his own history and his own stories.

And that's what he's done, and that's what he's achieved. you know, we'd be remembered for years and years and years to come. Standing on the shoulders of giants, John, you can go and tell you a little boy that now and try and cheer him up because I know you said he was, he's devastated about the departure. He's not great, but we'll take him to as many games as we can. John, thank you very much for joining us. John Gibbons from the Amfield wrap. Thank you very much to Stephen Warnock as well for joining us to reflect on that huge news

that has been announced this evening, which is that Mohamed Sala, will be leaving Liverpool at the end of this season. Rules. We race live on BBC Sounds. It's all eyes and the lights. And for the floor. On five live sports. Can healthcare really be reinvented?

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podcasts. This is the Football Daily podcast from Five Live Sports. Huge week of international football on the way for you. On Thursday night, we're in Cardiff on Five Live, a commentary of Wales World Cup playoff against Bosnia-Herzegov. We'll also keep you updated on Northern Ireland's playoff away in Italy. Winners of both of those ties will meet for a place at this summer's World Cup next week. Then on Friday, Thomas Tuchel England side continue their preparations for the summer against Uruguay at Wembley. Some of the squad have been speaking to the media today, so let's rejoin our senior football reporter Ian Dennis alongside our football correspondent John Murray.

Yes, in the England camp at St George's Park, in the Staffordshire Spring Countryside, where Thomas Tuchel's squad, his last before he names his selection for the World Cup, have assembled here. And Ian, we had a chance to see more than 15 minutes of training today, virtually the full session and it was chilly wasn't it changed from spring to winter during the course of the time we were standing out there i was going to say it didn't feel at all mild and when you just said the spring what was your words there the staffordshire spring countryside uh definite autuminal feel to to proceedings and obviously since we well since you met with thomas tuckel last week we've seen ben white and harvey barnes called up instead of

of Eberichie Eza and Jarrell Kwanza and this strange setup of the 11 players, Dean Henderson, Dan Byrne, Mark Gehie, Esri Konzer, Nico O'Reilly, Elliot Anderson, Bucayosaka, Harry Kane, the captain, Morgan Rogers, Declan Rice and Anthony Gordon. They are not present. So we had 24 training, and that 11 will turn up later in the week. Yes, and we saw James Garner. We saw Adam Wharton, who we had a chance to speak to today. Also, Jude Bellingham, playing a part in training. Having come on as a substitute for Rail Madrid on Sunday night, training today, which makes me think that he will probably train all the way through

the period that England are here, all being well. Yeah, because last week, Thomas Tuchel had almost set the expectation levels of the media rather than himself by saying that, you know, he might manage some minutes for the second game against Japan on Tuesday. but I don't know about you, but I thought he looked quite sprightly getting involved. But I'm led to believe from listening to Adam Wharton that for some it was only a light session. So we don't know how long that he may have done for this first session as they've gathered here at St. George's Park. Yes, I know certainly in the time that we were there, Harvey Barnes, Lewis Hall, Jared Bowen, Dominic Salanky, Ben White, Jed Spence.

they all seem to, and Harry McGuire as well, all seem to step out of the more intense part of the session. I did actually as well, managed to have a lengthy spell looking at what Thomas Tuchel does during an England training session. And as I say, it was blustery, it was showery, he had his woolly hat on, he had his hood up. But he was the man with the stopwatch and the whistle, occasional shouts of encouragement, things like, keep it simple guys. I heard a couple of well-done Harvys. so Harvey Barnes got a thumbs up from the manager on his return to the England set up

but yes let's hear what Adam Wharton had to say to you Ian because he is in line to win just his fourth England cap two years on from breaking into the squad before the Euros and this is what he had to say to Ian Adam bearing in mind you made your debut against Bosnia two years ago how would you describe your England career? Very short

no I've had some good experience experiences and yeah I think I'm obviously still young so hopefully there's a lot more to come. Yeah. See I would say you've been unlucky because when I watched your debut and you impressed everybody in that game at St. James's Park and then since then, and I think many pundits would agree that you haven't had the opportunities that your form would deserve. Do you feel as if you've been unlucky? I wouldn't say unlucky really to be honest I think I mean obviously there's a lot of top players for the managers to pick from so there's obviously that aspect of it and it was a game of opinions

so you can never be 100% sure on whether you're going to get picked or not but yeah I've had a couple injuries as well I had one last year that was about three months so that obviously doesn't help and then I had one at the start start of the season before the September camp. It was a growing, wasn't it?

Yeah. So you could call that unlucky maybe, but no, I think, obviously it's always competitive for the team selection. So, yeah, I'm just sort of focusing on myself and then, you know, happy when I get selected. And when you've heard the pundits rave about your match of the day, how does that make you feel? Yeah, obviously.

It's not terrible to hear. But at the same time, you can't sort of take it in too much and get ahead of yourself. Otherwise, then you probably start. So letting off a bit and not sort of progressing as much as you probably could. So yeah, it's obviously nice to hear, but try not to sort of pay too much attention to the positive and the negative and just try and keep level-headed.

And after that injury, you withdrew then from the September squad, you weren't called up in October. At that point with the World Cup around the corner, did you start to worry a little bit? Or did Thomas Tuchel offer you some sort of level of support of an assurance? No, I wasn't worried. Obviously, from October until May, June is a long time. There's a lot of football matches,

especially for us at palace being in Europe so we've got even more matches than usual so no I'm not worried like I said just sort of trying to focus myself stay level-headed don't take you know that as too much of a negative and then equally when you get selected don't take it as too much of a positive and try and just yeah stay

level as much as you can and then then you can be as consistent as possible and where does that being grounded come from Is that down to your parents or is there somebody who's had like an influence on your career? Definitely parents. But I think it's a good thing. They kept me grounded from a young age. Wouldn't let me be naughty or anything like that.

So you learn pretty quick. My mum was a teacher, so me and my brother's definitely got some of the bad days after school. We'd get the feel the wrath of it. So I think it's a positive. I would just want to be as normal as possible. And I think that helps me, try to be that way. You don't strike me as a naughty young man anyway. No, no, definitely not.

When you were a player, though, I mean, obviously you've got great passing ability and your technique and your vision. Who's your inspiration from a footballing point of view? Messy. Growing up, he was the one that I always loved to watch. watch. You get excited watching him. And yeah, he was always my favourite player, so I don't think it's a bad player to sort of try and replicate. I don't think I will replicate it, but yeah, I just love to watch him play. And I think that's where a lot of the sort of creative side

of my game comes from, I think. So is he in your mind when you're actually playing? You're thinking this is what Messi might do? I mean, no. Not during the game. I don't really think like that. I think I'm too sort of focused on the game and just trying to do as well as I can and help the team as much as I can. So not during the game, but I think just growing up, watching him so much, obviously I tried to replicate that when I was younger growing up. You always wanted to be like messy. He wanted to be like the best. And then obviously as you grow old, you're growing to your own sort of player. But yeah, that's definitely where it's started from.

But you're not afraid to be creative, though, are you? No, I think you have to be, especially in this sort of era of football. You know, teams are very tactically well set up. They're difficult to break down. So if you don't have their creativity, then it's pretty easy for them, I think, to sort of get behind the ball and stop you from creating chances. So I think that's where the creativity comes in. And if you don't have that, then you'll struggle to create a lot of chances.

Was it frustrating to go to the game? euros and not play any football? I wouldn't say frustrating. I think obviously going there you want to play and you want to be involved every footballer wants to play as many matches as you can, especially on such a big stage

like that, but at the same time I'd been in the Premier League six months you know, I was probably I was surprised to go there. So that was sort of more than expected anyway going. So I wouldn't say I was frustrated to not play.

It was just a great experience for me. And I'm glad I went there to experience it and get that to help me as a player and a person moving forward. And it must wet the appetite now for the World Cup. So how are you viewing this opportunity, this strange setup where you've got 11 players who are not going to arrive until the weekend?

end, this is an opportunity for you to seize it? Yeah, I think it's always an opportunity. Whenever you get a chance to sort of come here and try and show what you can do to the manager and the staff, it doesn't come around too often. There's only a few times a year. So if you do get the opportunity, every session, every game, listening, the meetings, you've got to try and take it all in and try and use it as much as you can wash of it. And finally, what's been the messaging from Thomas Tuchel as you've gathered here today?

Just similar to what I said, sort of try and take the opportunity. You know, it's a big chance for obviously a lot more players than usual. So, yeah, just try and affect the camp as much as you can, try and impress him as much as you can. While I should have the opportunity and then, yeah, see where it gets you. Good luck. Thank you. So there we are, Adam Wharton, talking to you, Ian. We know Thomas Tuchel told us last week.

This is the, as he called it, the last opportunity to compete for a ticket. And into that midfield, which is quite established now, isn't it? I mean, he has had a look at him. But Cobi Menu's now involved. We've obviously got James Garner in this squad, who we're going to hear from in a moment or two. Interesting that in the Adam Wharton has also said to in a separate interview that Thomas Tuchel has told him that,

Jordan Henderson and Elliot Anderson is the direct competition regarding the number six position. And when I actually finished my interview with him, I said, as Thomas Tuchel giving you any clues as to who's going to be released, and he didn't want to divulge that information. But Elliot Anderson is obviously one of the 11 who's going to either link up Friday evening, stroke, Saturday morning. And I just wonder if Wharton or Henderson are one of the two players

then that comes out as Elliot Anderson comes in in terms of that jigsaw if you like of who's going to help fill that number six position. That is the interesting thing this week with England who are the players who are going to be going home on

Friday night Saturday morning when the other 11 come in? Adam did say it's dependent on injuries and that's why at this stage that they're going to try and keep their cards close to their chest because I know for a fact that Thomas Tuchel does know that the individuals in his head, but he wouldn't divulge those names to the press last week.

No, and I suppose James Garner would be another one of those players. The Everton midfielder started every match in every competition for Everton this season. Last week, Thomas Tuchel said that Garner has had a fantastic season, played in multiple positions. He's fast, got a clean foot and can take set pieces. So we had a chance to speak to him, having received his first senior call-up, but he is no stranger to St George's Park remember having played at every level from under 17 right up to under 21 and now he's in Thomas Tuchel's squad. It feels a little bit different like you said I know this plays very well but coming in today there's a lot of new faces and obviously a whole lot of pressure so

so yeah no it feels a lot different. Did you have an inkling? Did you think it might be coming? I'd hoped it was come yeah like I said I felt personally I've had had a good season and it's probably the best I've played since I've started. So I was very confident and hoping that I would get the call up and I'm very thankful that I did. And tell us how you found out who was the first person that you called. What was their reaction? Yeah, to be quite honest with you, you know, he messaged me, he said that we need a call and obviously then, obviously we had the call. And it was a very positive one and I was very happy.

And then, to be honest with you, I didn't tell anybody because I knew the squad was going out the next day. So on the way to training, I rang my mum and my dad and brother and stuff. And I let them know. But I just wanted to digest it myself. And so, yeah, I didn't even tell anyone. And how instrumental do you think David Moyes has been in all of this? Yeah, no, I think since he's, I think since he's came. came in, not only myself, you know, the clubbers, club has gone.

I've been leaps and bounds, so I think that's the only testament to him and his staff. And I'm very thankful for all the help that he has gave me since he came in. So there we are, Everton's James Garner in the England squad. And we also had a chance to speak today to the England Under 21 coach, former Evertonian himself, Lee Carsley, who has been successful at two Euro under 21 tournaments, so he knows a thing or two about picking a successful tournament squad. And I spoke to Lee Carsley about what he looks for in the makeup of those squads. You know, the personalities and the character that you have in the squad is very important.

Players that understand maybe what their roles may be. You know, they all play such important roles at their clubs. That might not be the same international level. and then add the time four, five, six weeks away from home, adding that on to it, it's important that you take the right kind of personalities and characters with you are and setting a clear objective of it being won and no, setting the target of you're there to win, putting the team before yourselves and the squad before yourself is definitely a key to winning anything.

Do you agonise over it? Oh, 100%. Yeah, it's very difficult to, you know, to pick the last squad that we picked, never mind a tournament squad, because you know, especially when you get to a tournament, that 95% of the team will never play for the under 21s again. So it's a prestigious honour to represent your country in a major tournament. And then to, like I say, we've had some really good performances in tournaments, and the players deserve a lot of credit for that.

Can I just ask you as well about, in terms of developing the younger players, think it's specifically here of Max Downman who's obviously in the spotlight at the moment but I know Thomas Tuchel spoke to us about Rio and Gammaura as well last week. Give us an idea of the sort of process that goes on when you are discussing among all of you here at St George's Park about when is the right time to bring them forward. I think it's like you say it's all about time and I think sometimes some talents are that far ahead that they go through the age groups quite quickly. I think it's important that people understand that we've got

under 17 zeros, another 19 euros and under 21 euros and a senior one so it's important that we see a real benefit of qualifying for these tournaments and for the players to get a lot of minutes that aren't playing so much at their clubs and I think sometimes we can we can't we can't

dictate to the clubs how much players play at the clubs what we can with international level so trying to get the players into the right age groups with the right test knowing that they're going to play a lot of minutes is definitely a skill and we have a lot of conversations about making sure that we're putting the players

in the right age groups to get the right challenge and supporting them and we think we've done that at the minute. But there will be exceptions I know there have been in the past of players who skip age groups. Definitely, yeah, it's happened in the past it's happened many times

the way you go sometimes, you go from 19 straight to the senior team. We've seen it for people go from 17s to the senior team, so it's definitely a number. an individual basis and I think one of the key things is

these players they play a lot of minutes at their clubs and they're playing week in week out I think it's important that we don't fast track people too quickly

Max is an outstanding talent as is Rio and we're very lucky that we've got quite a few players like that of that level that are outstanding talents so there we are

Lee Carsley the England Under 21 coach interesting talking about Max Downman and whether he might miss out a couple of age groups. He's keeping his cards close to his chest,

but it would not be a surprise, would it, at some point, possibly later this year? Well, I mean, I have likened Max Dowman to Wayne Rooney in the past for being this generational talent. You know, I've heard Scouts, well, David Pleets, in particular raving about him

from three years ago. He first started talking to me about Max Downman. And I remember we talked to Declan Rice about this special talent that Arsenal have got in their midst. And similar to Wayne Rooney. Wayne Rooney went straight in an international level for a major tournament in Euro 2004. And, you know, when Thomas Tuchel spoke to you last week,

although it was also interesting that he mentioned Rio and Gumoer at Liverpool, but he still would not close the door on the possibility of Max Downman, would he? Yes, he said, why would I do that? So that is what's happening with England, but obviously the biggest internationals in this window are the World Cup playoffs and Wales are preparing for their World Cup playoff semi-final against Bosnia-Herzegovina

and we can hear the latest news from the Wales camp now with Chris Watham. Hello, welcoming you to Wales HQ, the Football Association of Wales is based in the Vale of Grimorgan just outside of Cardiff. The team staying at the hotel, just a short walk from these rather plush offices and training pitches in front of us where Craig Bellamy is readying his side for what is an absolutely huge week.

Two wins from the World Cup with the playoff semi-final against Bosnia and Herzegovina first up on Thursday before. Now, if all goes to plan, the winners of Northern Ireland and Italy in Cardiff next Tuesday. Although the message from the Wales boss is that no one should be looking past a Bosnian side, only just missed out on automatic qualification and still have the 40-year-old goal threat of Edinburgh. to call on. Wales though are missing some of their most experienced players, the likes of Ben Deris, Aaron Ramsey, Kiefer Moe, all out injured but they do still have plenty of know-how

in a squad who reached the last World Cup by the playoffs, including Ethan Amperdoe, the lead United captain, who has 59 caps at just the age of 25 and he's been telling me how he hopes to harness that experience in such a crucial week.

I think as a team we're going to be trying to obviously calm the nerves and calm the the pressure, but knowing that we have to deliver. But like I said, it's that excitement and making sure that we understand what the game means and what it's about, not just for us players, but as a whole country itself. And it's obviously harder whenever you miss players for injury, especially the experience that they bring. But seeing how they've trained in previous camps and knowing how they go about their football,

I mean, it raises a standard anyway. So we're all fully committed to this. you've got a lot of experience. Of course, you know what it feels like to reach major finals. You know what it feels like to reach the World Cup. That feeling, it must have been, you know, that Ukraine game must have been one of the greatest nights of your career. Is that something that you keep inside you as a bit of motivation?

You want it again? No, definitely. I think it only adds to it because, I said, you know that feeling of winning that game. But also, like I said, go into a major tournament and beating on, I think everyone's being honest, and we didn't produce levels that. we know we could have and we should have.

So it's that excitement motivation of achieving it, but also wanted to go back and show everyone what whales can do. Yeah, the whole nation is excited, is nervous. What's the mood like when you're in camp? What do you do to pass the time? Because it can be a lot of hours in the build-up to a game. Yeah, no, definitely. I mean, when it's time to work,

when you're time in the grass, when you're in the meetings, it's full concentration, full focus, as that's the minimum expectation to, to play for Wales. But then, like I said, we've got a lot of time, but we've got such a good squad. Everyone got to get some well of anyone, so people do different things to pass their time.

But it's making sure that we're together and we have that bond is what's made well success in the past and what hopefully we're going to keep involving and keep trying to go to major tournaments with. Because this is a squad that by and large has grown up together, hasn't it? And come through a lot of experiences together. You've been here, what,

10 years, I think it was, when you were first sort of brought in for training before you were 2016. Yeah, 10 years sounds like a long time, but it's gone like that. So I think that's another thing that when you're in these moments, you have to grab with both hands because hopefully we can be sat in another 10 years to say that we've been to the tournament in America and following tournaments after that. So, yeah, time really does go quickly, so you have to make the most of it whilst you there. One of the players that has come on this journey with you is Harry Wilson. Not a bad season he's having, is he?

No, he's been amazing. So he's playing up against him twice for Phelan. We know his qualities. I think everyone has known his qualities. I think this year it's been nice to see everyone on the wider audience speak about him more because, like I said, we all know what we can do. We all know his quality is his magic with the left foot. But it's been really nice to be able to see everyone else,

appreciating him and knowing what he can do. And yeah, for us, we're just very excited to him. And coming into this camp, we're very fortunate we've got a player like him. When he's in this kind of form, when you share a dressing room with him, is it nice knowing that he can cause teams damage? He can help us get to where we want to be, which is, of course, the World Cup. No, definitely, because first foremost, for us to get a good result and achieve what and achieve, there's going to be a massive collective,

whether that's players, staff, fans, fans getting behind us, we know what the Red Walls like, we know that they're going to be with us with us for every single moment. And then when you, not just him, but especially as it was talking about it, and when you look at a player that who can create a moment of magic from nothing really, it's definitely a confidence booster. Ethan Ampadoo there chatting in the changing rooms here

at the FAW training base. And soon after, I was joined by his Ellen Road teammate, Carl Darlow. It was a bit of family history at the way. World Cup, his grandfather, Ken Leake, a striker at Newcastle among others, and having been part of the Wales squad who went to Sweden in 1958. But the Wales goalkeeper started by summing up the mood of the camp. We know how big a camp this can be and it's kind of all led up to this moment where we know we can do something special and qualify for the World Cup in the summer.

The World Cup is in your blood, isn't it? Yeah. Tell us about your grandfather. I know it's a story that you've told before, but there's not many families that have a grandfather and a grandson managed to make it to the biggest football tournament in the world. Yeah, hopefully, yeah. Obviously, that's a massive moment in what his career was, and I'm hoping that I can emulate that and do the same. And, yeah, to play a big part in what we've done qualifying so far, I'm just hoping that we can finish the job off. And it's really exciting. I think the next game, obviously, being Bosnian. a Thursday night

we're so fully focused on that and then what comes after it is yeah it's hopefully going to be special it's hard not to look ahead though isn't it especially for the fans who are desperate to get back there yeah yeah we know that every single nation

that we've come up against throughout qualifying even I don't know Lichtenstein away was still a tough game so we're not underestimating anyone it's just a fact of we need to to beat Bosnia to give ourselves the best possible chance of getting to the World Cup and that's what we're, yeah, that's what we're focused on. I know the manager is someone that only looks at the next day, preparation is everything.

How's he been so far? Because I think he's just been swatting and plotting for about four months since that North Macedonia game. It's been a long wait. Yeah, he's excited as well. I think, like you say, he has a long time between that November camp and the March camp. So, yeah, a lot of planning has obviously gone. to how we can beat Bosnia on Thursday and that's all we're focused on

in terms of what we're doing these next few days and how we can get past them. Is it intense in camp? Is it nervous? What's it like? I think, to be fair, every camp's intense. I think we go into every camp with full throttle and making sure that we're ready to go for each and every single game and that's the way we kind of got used to it.

I think having the manager in charge for a fair amount of time now has probably got us used to that. So he installs a confidence in us that we can go out and execute a game plan. And I think that probably showed the most in the last game that we played against North Macedonia. And hopefully we can just replicate that. He's been ready for three and a half months, I think. You must be ready because number one for club, number one for country. This is all going to plan, isn't it? Yeah, it's been really good recently. I think I'm on a good run of games where I've got a bit of rhythm going again and yeah it's really nice to be to be

playing week and week out in the Premier League and for yeah and for my country so yeah it's something that I'm just taking step by step and enjoying the moment it must make it sweeter because it hasn't been an easy journey for you in terms of that you've had to fight yeah yeah to wait yeah I've had to fight all my career I think that's the same for probably any professional in any any sport you're always going to have times where you have to show your bottle and show what you're about. And there's something that I've always backed myself to do and even come in here and trying to get the number one shirt and making sure I play is something that I'll always back myself to do.

And yeah, I'm just proud of where I'm at the minute and I just want that to continue. 12 caps. Your grandfather got 13. Yeah, I know. Yeah. So it could be a big night then. I need to beat that, don't I? The family coming down?

Yeah, they're all down. Yeah, they're all coming down on the Wednesday. So, yeah, I'm well aware of that start. And yeah, I want to beat that as well. You've got the chance, hopefully it comes Thursday and then next Tuesday. I know you're not going to look not far ahead. It's all about Thursday night which, and let's hope it doesn't, could go to penalties.

Clearly that's something you're aware of. Is it something that you've been preparing for? Yeah, I think, yeah. like you say how long's the manager been preparing for this camp we will be well prepared in what we need to do and if it comes down to that and again confidence in terms of what we do and how we execute if it goes to penalties and we need to make sure that we're ready and we will be you're going to be at home clearly what difference does that make i mean experience in the wheels camp is limited but you've already you already know what these nights are like don't you yeah it's a

huge benefit i think um yeah at club or country always playing at home you seem to have that a little bit more confidence and backing from your home fans that I can imagine Thursday night is going to be pretty vibrant and yeah exciting and loud and hopefully we can give them performance to enjoy and make it a good night. Carl Darlalow the Wales goalkeeper there with Chris Wathen and simultaneously on Thursday night Northern Ireland will be in Bergamo for their challenging World Cup playoff semi-final against Italy with the winners to play away against Wales Bosnia, Herzegovina in the final Ian and Norman Island injury hit without two of the most important players, Connor Bradley and Dan Ballard. Yeah, I did a dinner in the North East a few weeks ago

and Dan Ballard was the name that the North East, well the FWA North East football of the year. And one of the last questions that I did on stage was how excited are you looking forward to this playoff game against Italy? And so I can only imagine how devastated he must be that this hamstring injury is going to keep him out of this crucial, crucial game. And you mentioned the word challenging. And I know that some may be surprised that Italy haven't reached the World Cup finals since 2014. They didn't qualify in 2018 or indeed for that one, of course, in Qatar. But you use the word challenging, John, and it is for Northern Ireland.

If you look at the previous seven meetings, they've never won in seven games and they've never actually scored in those seven previous matches. and then to do it without those two key defenders is a real setback for Michael O'Neill. Yeah, Connor Bradley in particular, has been a real star for Northern Ireland under Michael O'Neill. Sandro Tanali, incidentally, is in the Italy squad, having missed the Newcastle-Sundleon match at the weekend, but Federico Keizza of Liverpool has been ruled out. Interestingly, though, Michael O'Neill talking about how all the pressure is on Italy, which I think is exactly the approach that Michael Unile.

Neil needs to take with that. So that is about it from this Football Daily. The England match commentaries will be on Five Live and BBC Sounds. The Wales match is on Five Live. You can watch Wales on BBC One in Wales. You can watch Northern Ireland on BBC One in Northern Ireland. And you can find them both on the IPlayer or on the BBC Sport website and app on your devices. And on the radio, on BBC Sounds will have further build-up to it all throughout the week. But your next football daily

will be the latest 72 plus with Aaron Paul and Joby McEnough. 5 live sport. Our referee for this afternoon close her whistle and we are on the way. And she is able to just pick her sport. Curls its way past the best goalkeeper in the division.

BBC Women's Football Weekly. news, insights and analysis from across the women's game. Lucy Bruns, welcome back. What one-liners do you think would make the best rugby player? Me? Listen. With the BBC Sounds app. Wise, the app for international people using money around the globe.

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