EURO 2020 inside track: Wales

Group A fixtures

12/06: Wales vs Switzerland (Baku)
16/06: Turkey vs Wales (Baku)
20/06: Italy vs Wales (Rome)

Team profile

Coach: Robert Page
Captain: Gareth Bale
Nickname: The Dragons (Y Dreigiau)
How they qualified: Group E runners-up (W4 D2 L2 F10 A6)
EURO best: semi-finalists (2016)

Where they could play their knockout games

Round of 16: London, Amsterdam, Bucharest, Seville or Glasgow
Quarter-final: Saint Petersburg, Munich, Rome or Baku
Semi-final: London
Final: London

Final 26-man squad

Goalkeepers: Adam Davies (Stoke City), Wayne Hennessey (Crystal Palace), Danny Ward (Leicester City)

Defenders: Ethan Ampadu (Chelsea), Ben Cabango (Swansea City), Ben Davies (Tottenham), Chris Gunter (Charlton Athletic), Tom Lockyer (Luton Town), Chris Mepham (Bournemouth), Rhys Norrington-Davies (Sheffield United), Connor Roberts (Swansea City), Joe Rodon (Tottenham), Neco Williams (Liverpool)

Midfielders: Joe Allen (Stoke City), David Brooks (Bournemouth), Rubin Colwill (Cardiff City), Daniel James (Manchester United), Dylan Levitt (Manchester United), Joe Morrell (Luton Town), Aaron Ramsey (Juventus), Matthew Smith (Manchester City), Jonny Williams (Cardiff City), Harry Wilson (Liverpool)

Forwards: Gareth Bale (Real Madrid), Kieffer Moore (Cardiff City), Tyler Roberts (Leeds United)

UEFA.com Wales team reporter: Matthew Howarth

This is my second EURO after reporting on Switzerland in 2016. The Nati may have exited that competition at the last-16 stage but the tournament left me with memories that will last a lifetime – not least Xherdan Shaqiri's acrobatic volley against Poland in Saint-Étienne! Having lived in north Wales since 2017, I can't wait to follow the Dragons in their bid to replicate their remarkable exploits in France five years ago – starting with a meeting with my 'former team' on 12 June!

How they play

Wales lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation for the majority of their qualifying campaign but coach Robert Page has favoured a 3-4-3 system in recent months. The Dragons will look to utilise the pace of Dan James, Harry Wilson and Gareth Bale up front, although Kieffer Moore – if selected – would provide a greater focal point in attack.

Key player: Gareth Bale

Due to turn 32 this summer, Bale remains the talisman and is Wales' all-time record marksman. A huge influence on and off the field, he has scored crucial goals throughout his international career since debuting in 2006.

Coach: Robert Page

A former defender who represented a number of clubs including Watford, Sheffield United and Coventry as well as winning 41 caps for Wales, Page started his managerial career with Port Vale and Northampton Town. He joined the international set-up as Under-21s coach before becoming assistant to the senior side and then taking the top job on a caretaker basis.

One to watch: Ethan Ampadu

Still only 20, Ampadu's ability to operate in both defence and midfield has enabled him to establish himself for Wales. Comfortable on the ball, Ampadu can play out from deep positions and is a solid presence at the back when not in possession.

Can they win it?

A repeat of their 2016 heroics seems unlikely, but there is no reason Wales cannot progress to the latter stages. Page's team are notoriously difficult to beat – they have kept clean sheets in eight of their last ten competitive games – and in Bale they possess a genuine game-changer.