Tottenham Hotspur defender Ashley Phillips, born in Salford, is at the forefront of a potential international allegiance switch.
Wales have approached Phillips to switch international allegiance from England.
Phillips, whose mother hails from Swansea, was born in Salford and was capped at under-16 level for Wales, making his debut against England u-16, before making over 30 appearances for the Three Lions at youth level.
The Blackburn Rovers academy product is currently on loan at Sky Bet Championship side Stoke City, where he has made over 70 appearances in two spells at the club, signing for Tottenham Hotspur in 2023.
The Red Dragon’s attempt to persuade Phillips has not been successful at this point, with the 20-year-old absent from Craig Bellamy’s World Cup play-off squad for the semi-final against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Cardiff on March 26.
The winners of the Wales-Bosnia tie will play Italy or Northern Ireland at home on March 31 for a place at this summer’s World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Wales have been hit with a flurry of injuries ahead of their bid to reach the States in the summer. With skipper Ben Davies out with an ankle break, the Spurs defender, who won his 100th cap in October, is in danger of missing the World Cup should Wales qualify.
West Brom centre-back Chris Mepham and Wrexham striker Kieffer Moore will both miss out through hamstring injuries.
Welsh boss Craig Bellamy said he was “so disappointed this got out…we’re always looking at the dual-nationalities it’s been so good for us for a number of years”, at the squad announcement for the upcoming World Cup play-offs.
“We’re always active on it, players of quality [who] have a chance to play for Wales, we have to be.”
