Burns: Will I Be in the Wales Squad? I've Literally No Idea
Tuesday, 8th Nov 2022 10:08

Wes Burns says he has no idea whether he’ll be named in the Wales World Cup squad when the announcement is made on Wednesday.

Burns, 27, broke into his national team in the summer when he won his first three full caps. The wideman was subsequently called up to the party for the September internationals but didn’t play a minute of those games, although he felt the experience was worthwhile.

Welsh boss Rob Page will name his 26-man party for Qatar on Wednesday live on BBC One Wales at 7pm.

Wales are in Group B along with England, Iran and the USA, who they play in their first match on Monday 21st November.

“I’d love to go, honestly I would, I’d love to go,” Burns said. “If I get the call, brilliant. If I don’t, I know I’ve got a big season here at Ipswich.

“I think we’ve said it many times, the aim at the end of the season is for Ipswich to be in the Championship, be playing Championship football next year, so it’s a win for me either way. If I go, brilliant, if I don’t, then I know I’ve got a job to do here.”

Has he any clue at this point whether he will be getting the nod? “No, literally I’ve got no idea whatsoever. I don’t know whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing.

“Usually it’s just an email or an email to the club and then I get notified that way. But I think they’re keeping everything very under wraps at the moment, so fingers crossed.”

Burns says Wales qualifying for the World Cup for only the second time, they were previously in Sweden in 1958, is huge regardless of whether he’s on the plane to Qatar.

“It’s a special one,” he reflected. “Seems like it’s been a long time coming. The whole build-up to it, the feel around the whole of Welsh football is coming back now.

“I think the group of players are progressing us, we’re getting to major tournaments again. We’re doing well in tournaments, looking back at the Euros and things like that. Welsh football is coming back on the map and what a chance to go and do it at the World Cup.”

If he is included, Burns will be the second Town player to have been named in a Wales World Cup squad, John Elsworthy having been selected in the 22 in 1958.

But sadly for the man known as Big John, he was one of four players left at home with their seats on the plane to Sweden instead given to wives of Welsh FA committee members and he ultimately never won a cap.

FIFA's Club Benefits Programme pays out $10,000 (£8,706) for each day players are away at the finals regardless of the amount of time they are on the pitch.

The sum is paid to all the clubs a player has been with in the preceding two years, so Burns's former side Fleetwood would be due a percentage of the sum.

Following the 2018 tournament, Town received £417,506.39 from FIFA for Bartosz Bialkowski and Jonas Knudsen's inclusion in the Poland and Denmark squads.

Photo: Action Images

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Radlett_blue added 12:09 - Nov 8

Amazing the way international football was run by blazered committee men, isn't it? I believe Scotland did something similar in the 1958 finals, selecting but not bringing out a full squad, while some English clubs refused to release their Scottish players for the finals.
One thing Alf Ramsey insisted on when taking the England job was full control of the playhing side as previously the XI had been picked by the FA International Committee.

ButchersBrokenNose added 13:12 - Nov 8

Radlett: true. I read somewhere that one of the Men in Blazers had it in for Ramsey after the manager told him to put his cigar out while flying with the team to a game. This was before the '66 world cup, but the bloke held a grudge, and when we didn't win in '70, he led the push to get Ramsey sacked. England spent the seventies in the football wilderness as a result. Unbelievable, really.

Dissboyitfc added 13:13 - Nov 8 Great attitude from Burns and I will be pleased by either outcome, pleased for him how f he gets a seat and pleased for itfc if he stays, win win!
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Bildestoned added 14:08 - Nov 8 'Blazered committee men'? I'm afraid that they're still out there! If you have kids playing tournaments you'd be amazed at some of the wizened club chairmen that gt wheeled out on such occasions.
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