09-07-2025
The little girl who grew up determined to play for Wales living out her dream at the Euros
As Wales watched their women's national side make history last weekend, sat in the crowd were the parents of Ffion Morgan. They watched on with pride as their daughter entered the fray on one of the biggest stages in world football.
Even for the average member of The Red Wall, it was a day stacked with emotion and patriotism as a sea of red marched the streets of Lucerne in Switzerland. The national anthem that followed at Allmend Stadion was one for the history books, and left this writer with goosebumps in the press box.
But for Ruth and Phylip Morgan from Llandeilo, their pride extended beyond purely being Welsh. They were witnessing their daughter play a part in history.
At that moment, all the long car journeys and muddy boots must have seemed worth it.
Speaking to WalesOnline out in St Gallen ahead of the second match against France, Morgan's parents spoke about their surreal experience, with Phylip once noting that he felt as if one day, he might just wake up from a dream.
"When they came out on the field to warm up, the fans, it was literally The Red Wall, it was completely red!," explained mum Ruth.
Ruth recorded the players running out for their pre-match warm-up, showing Ffion later on, who noted one detail to her after watching the video, which encapsulated the moment.
"You can see us all looking at our arms because we've literally had goosebumps, because of the noise and the encouragement from The Red Wall! She said the fans were just out of this world," said mum Ruth.
"She has obviously experienced this before in Cardiff, Newport and other places, but there was nothing like this, it was absolutely immense."
Dad Phylip added: "Even when the game was about to kick off and we were going through the anthems, Ffion was saying that when they were all coming off, even the Dutch players were commenting about the volume of the anthem, that it had moved them as Dutch people.
"For them to be moved in such a way with just the volume... I'm biased, I know, as a Welshman, but it is the best fans in the world, isn't it?
"For me, as a dad," continues Phylip, who composes himself ahead of talking about his daughter's journey. "I say this to Ruth often, I feel as if I am about to wake up from a dream! What I remember the most, and I'll get emotional talking about this - she is just my little girl.
"And so, there was this four, five year-old little kid who has got really good co-ordination, she could do several different sports if she wanted to, but she picked football. She's always had a right boot and defends really, really hard. I still cannot believe that we are here and more importantly, my little girl is doing this for a living. Because I would've killed to have done that myself!"
"It was literally a pinch me moment," adds mum Ruth. "Even yesterday, we were walking around: 'Can you believe we've just watched our daughter playing in the Euros?'
"It's just incredible. Our other daughters are heading out as well, we're just so proud of her. it's just unreal."
Of course, Morgan has been a constant in the Welsh set-up for quite some time now, but the feeling of getting called up to the first major tournament still hit hard, as Ruth says.
"We were at the house, she'd finished with Bristol, the season had come to an end so she was home," she says. "Her girlfriend was there as well. We were looking at something on the iPad and the next thing she went: 'Oh my gosh, Rhian is phoning me.'
"We were like: 'Rhian?', she says: 'Yeah, Rhian Wilkinson!', we were like: 'Go take it, go take it!'. She disappeared for about 10 to 15 minutes and then she came back, saying: 'I'm going to the Euros!'
"We were like: 'Yeah that's great', she's says: 'No, I'm actually going to the Euros!', we were like: 'Did you doubt it then?', she said: 'Well until you've had the phone call you never know', she started tearing up: 'I'm so relieved I now know 100% that I am going to the Euros'
"Even if they play regularly, until that phone call is made… Rhian started that conversation by saying: 'Hey Ffion, just wanted to congratulate you, you've been chosen for the squad. She said: 'I nearly broke down!'"
As far as representing her beloved Wales, Morgan never had anything else on her mind. Her parents were incredibly supportive when she was young even in the face of some discouragement from others. However, there was one moment that truly inspired her journey, and it was down to two former Welsh internationals.
"For us as parents, looking back on her journey with football and Wales, from the age of four she was football-obsessed, she always had football kit on, she'd always have Wales hats on, we were very determined to help her as much as we could.
"We took her to every trial that was going, if she wanted to join a team, we would get it sorted. We had a lot of hassle for it and lots of people were like: 'Don't encourage her, she's going to be heartbroken!'
"We took her to a charity event when she was seven-years-old and Gwennan Harries and Loren Dykes were there. They gave her a Welsh shirt and they signed her ball for her. She's got a photograph, got a smile from ear to ear with a massive Welsh shirt on, it was too big for her.
"She came home and she said: 'Mam, that's what I want to do, I want to play for Wales'. That is all she's ever wanted to do, even in school: 'What do you want to be?', (she'd reply) 'Footballer. Footballer.'
"We took her to trials, we took her everywhere she needed to go, when she signed for Bristol Academy she had to finish school a lesson early because we had to travel two hours to Bristol three times a week.
"She has been very very focused on what she's wanted, she's been very determined. To see it actually come to something now is just amazing.
"Even though we believed in her, we always said: 'You can always do whatever you want to do'. We always used to say: 'Somebody's got to play for Wales, why can't it be you?'
"Even with that encouragement, in the back of your head, you never know.
"But then when you see her run out at one of the biggest tournaments ever and she's playing in the Euros, it's just like: 'Oh my gosh, I can't actually believe that it's all worked out and it's all she's ever dreamed of doing.'
Dad Phylip adds: "We are not pushy parents. You see so many parents that live out their unmet dreams through their children. All we've ever done is get behind them, with all three of our daughters, not just Ffion.
"She is quite unusual. Ffion, from that day on at seven years of age, she was going to play football for Wales. It was decided!
"And then she told her grandad, he never got to see her win her first cap but he's probably looking down from glory right now at here.
"And that's a big thing for here as well, with the anthem, she can hear grandad singing: 'Gwlad, gwlad'. She's done it for him and done it for herself, it just shows what can happen with encouragement."
Speaking about what it was like for Ffion after the match, Ruth said: "The players came out to see us after they showered, I said: 'How are you feeling?', and she says: 'Mum, Wales have played their first game in the Euros!'
"They came back to the changing rooms and they were like: 'We've just played in the Euros!'
"Whilst they obviously would have loved to have a better score, the big thing for them was: 'Look at what we've done, at what we've achieved in just arriving here'.
"That was very much what was on their minds after the game, really. They were just proud that they had done Wales proud to be here."
Morgan and her teammates have certainly done Cymru proud, and their next challenge comes on Wednesday night in St Gallen against France, where The Red Wall will be ready and waiting for their history-makers.
