Best Welsh Footballers of All Time

The Wales national football team has not won any major international trophy, but the country boasts great football talent. This article rounds up the best Welsh footballers of all time.

1. Gareth Bale

31-year-old Gareth Bale is the best Welsh footballer of all time. Currently the Wales national team captain, Bale has been capped 87 times and has managed an impressive 33 goals making him Wales’ all-time top-scorer. While he has a good record playing for Wales, his club performances are explosive. He started his career at Southampton before signing for Tottenham Hotspurs and later on to Real Madrid, at a world record transfer fee of £85.3 million in 2013.

2. Ryan Giggs

Currently, the Wales national team manager, Ryan Giggs is the second-best Welsh footballer. The former Manchester United midfield maestro has been capped by Wales 64 times and managed 12 goals. The 46-year-old made 672 appearances for Manchester United, scoring 114 goals. Giggs boasts 13 Premier League titles, 4 FA Cup titles, 2 UEFA Champions League titles, FIFA Club World Cup, Intercontinental Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and 9 FA Community Shield titles, among other trophies, all with Manchester United.

3. Gary Speed

Just like Giggs, Gary Speed is remembered not just for his exploits in the field for Wales, but also as a manager for the national team, a position he held until his demise. The former Leeds United, Everton, Newcastle United, Bolton Wanderers and Sheffield United midfielder captained the Wales national team until his retirement. He once held the record for Wales’ most capped player until Chris Gunter overtook him in 2018. Unfortunately, Speed committed suicide in 2011.

The above are the top 3 Welsh footballers of all time. Other worthy mentions include Ian Rush, Wales’ second all-time leading scorer with 28 goals in 73 games, Chris Gunter, Aaron Ramsey, Craig Bellamy, Mark Hughes, and Neville Southall just to mention a few.