The eight uncapped players in the Wales squad are Mia Ross, Annie Wilding, Gwen Zimmerman, Scarlett Hill and Amy Richardson, who get their first call-ups, while Poppy Soper, Teagan Scarlett and Tianna Teisar are hoping to make their Wales debuts having been involved with previous squads.
Charlton Athletic midfielder Ross, who has played for England at under-19 and under-23 level, might have played for Wales already were it not for injury.
“Mia, firstly, is a fantastic person. I’ve been in communication with Mia pretty much since I got the job. I’ve been watching her,” said Wilkinson.
“I think she’s got a vision and an understanding of space that’s always really interested me and intrigued me, and it’s a big decision to choose a nationality to play for.
Wilkinson added both player and coach had taken their time and had lots of good conversations before commiting.
“Equally no-one will come into this squad if they’re not the right person for this squad. So yes, she was part of the England pathway, but there’s a type of person that I know can fit in well with this Welsh team,” the head coach explained.
“We have to keep our Welsh heritage, our Welsh understanding strong, that connection and passion for the flag, for the badge, has to be paramount. If that person that I’m looking at doesn’t have that, then I stop recruiting them.
“And from the beginning, Mia’s been very clear that this was something she was interested in, that she felt very strongly about, and we haven’t forced or pushed those conversations, it’s happened quite naturally, and she then got injured.
“So we gave her space and now she’s back playing well, and we’re really looking forward to having her for the first time in with the group.”
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