3 days ago
'Wise woman' Barton has ambitions to coach with Wales
Kayleigh Barton smiles as she watches the next generation of Welsh players from the sidelines at Newport's Dragon Park, no doubt taking pride in how she and others have helped pave the way for the stars of recently retired striker is one of the guests of honour at a training day for young players organised by the Football Association of Wales (FAW) and football's world governing body, brainchild of legendary ex-Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, the Fifa Talent Development Scheme (TDS) provides young players with a Fifa trained coach, in this case former German international Ariane Hingst, to work side-by-side with local coaches and are certainly high hopes of discovering the next Kayleigh Barton at this Newport session - the first of its kind for young girls in it is a time to look back as well as forward. Just 48 hours earlier, Barton, 37, had announced her retirement from playing - not much time to reflect on a career that began at hometown club Cardiff City and led as far afield as Chieti Calcio Femminile in Italy as well as Yeovil, Brighton and Charlton in it is the 89 caps and 22 goals for Wales for which she will be most fondly remembered. Just don't call her a 'former' international for a while yet."Not a former, I haven't got that far yet," laughed Barton. "It's not long gone out, so we'll say that in another 10 years."She admits calling time on her career was a tough decision to make."It was so difficult because at times you think that your legs still have it, but in my mind I just thought I could probably affect the game in other ways," she added."I was going back and forth but the Euros was probably the right time to hang my boots up."
The seven 'wise women'
Barton was a key figure in Wales' historic qualification for Euro 2025 in Switzerland. An achievement reached after a memorable play-off win in the Republic of Ireland but really an achievement made in the years before, under coaches Jarmo Matikainen, Jayne Ludlow and Gemma Grainger before current boss Rhian played a key role during all four regimes - earning her first cap in 2012 - before deciding to hang up her boots this year."It was before the Ireland game and I was like, do I or don't I? And then obviously we qualified for the Euros and then I was like, 'this would be the perfect time'," added Barton."I'd given so much for my country and we worked so hard. I wasn't going out before going to a major tournament."I told my Mum and Dad and my Dad said 'no'. But my Dad understands I wouldn't have made this decision lightly and he supports me just like my wife and my Mum. It's still a difficult one and I'm still trying to process it at the moment."Barton cites many former coaches and colleagues as mentors but says the bond shared with her Wales team-mates has been the most much so that she feels part of an exclusive club when it comes to Welsh women's football."They're going to hate me for saying this, but we're like the seven wise women. That is our table name," added Barton."There's Laura [O'Sullivan-Jones], there's me, there's Gemma Evans, there's Rachel Rowe, Angharad James, Sophie Ingle and Jess [Fishlock]. We're like the wise women and when you walk in a room, you'll just always see us together."I'd probably say when we went to the Euros, I didn't realise how much I leant on them a lot. They were really like my support network being away from home for a long period. I think everybody else felt it and I'd probably say we supported each other through."I've played with Jess for a very long time and if I was to end my career looking back at two other players, for me it would be Angharad James and Sophie Ingle. I look at them and what they give and who they are as people."
Future in coaching
Observing future players being put through their paces at Dragon Park, it is not lost on Barton just how much things have changed since she was at school. It drives her desire to give back to the recently taken up a coaching role at Saltdean, she has already been touted as a Wales coach of the future by Rhian Wilkinson."This is what it's about, it's creating opportunities for the next generation, for the next major tournament and hopefully we're going to find some young girls and we've inspired young girls to be in the next major tournament," said Barton."I didn't have opportunities like this when I was their age. I started off in a boys team and then I went to a regional squad and then I was a little bit older when I joined the women's team. It's so good to have a lot more girls teams that they can go and play in."I do want to become a coach and one day I would love to be on the coaching side within Wales. I've always been a leader within the group and I'm not shy of giving my voice."Asked what it has meant to represent Wales, Barton pauses:"It's hard to sum up all the emotions but the passion that I have and the pride playing for my country, you can see I've always given 100%."I've always been committed to playing for my country and wearing that badge. I wouldn't want to wear any other badge".
