Harry Wilson was one of Fulham's standouts last season. Photo: Getty Images/Mike Ehrmann
It's not only Hollywood that has spotted a sleeping giant in North Wales waiting to wake up. Growing up in Corwen, Harry Wilson saw a lot of talent around him, but not so many opportunities. They were in a downpour as the banks of the River Dee broke and overflowed, causing football to be canceled for several weeks.
Wilson played in the World Cup last season, but the journey began with a 120-mile round trip to the Liverpool Academy. His uncle took him to the terraces of nearby Wrexham and his passion for football was picked up by owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, but the area is relatively isolated from elite clubs.
After six loan spells, where he often lived on suitcases , Wilson has found a home at Fulham, where he was one of the highlights in an outstanding campaign last season. This season we have seen a new haircut, changes behind the scenes with new Unique Sports Group representatives and new expectations.
“You would think that we would be bullied by the teams, but we are not,” says Wilson. “We weren't the biggest team, but we more than stood up to the teams. You look at our threat of a set piece when we were in the championship, then we adapted very well last year and maybe played a little longer and straight on Mitro (Aleksandr Mitrovic) and beat it.”
It's not every day you see a goal from the referee's point of view…
How Peter Banks saw Harry Wilson's screamer 👇#PLSummerSeries pic.twitter.com /CI9o1rxOp2
— Premier League (@premierleague), July 23, 2023
Wilson is now feeling settled after a string of loans. The only constant was Corwen in North Wales, where his friends and family still live, and he returns whenever possible. He hopes to one day build an all-weather 4G field so that the flood-prone city will always have football and a place to unleash talent.
“Where I come from, it's more of an opportunity for things,” Wilson says. «I was lucky, but others didn't have the support network that I had with my parents and grandparents to take them 60 miles down the road, or maybe they couldn't afford it, or they had a car, or they couldn't leave work.
“Our nearest Premier League teams were over an hour away, our nearest Academy was the same. Wrexham was the center of excellence and it was our closest professional team. I had to drive 15 minutes to play for the youth team, which got me noticed and I went to Liverpool. It's something that can be done and I think I can do it.”
While growing up as a Liverpool fan, Wilson regularly went to the racetrack and returned to the English Football League. for Wrexham, Wilson believes it has given the region a boost that could introduce more players to the professional game.Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds (right) and Rob McElhenney helped change Wilson's fortunes as a child. Photo: Getty Images/Matthew Ashton
When it became known that Ryan and Rob wanted to buy Wrexham, I don't think anyone could believe it. Why would Hollywood buy Wrexham?» He says. “They really connected the fans to the city and back to the club, because for the last 10 years it has been unsettled.
“I remember walking with my uncle as a child. It was so well supported, five or six thousand fans in the second league. They got stuck at the conference, but the fans kept showing up. Outsiders might have something to say, but being from the area and knowing how passionate the fans are is great to see and it has lifted the area.»
Wilson, 26, ended last season on a high, returning to Marco Silva's team after an injury prevented his return to the Premier League. His return coincided with the birth of his first child, Oscar, who arrived just before his form forced him back into his regular spot at Fulham.
He thanks Silva for helping him achieve maximum returns. season. The Portuguese coach used the mid-week time at Motspur Park's training grounds to prepare his players for being one of the Premier League's surprises. It's easy to see why other teams love him so much when Wilson describes his approach.
Marco Silva led Fulham to an impressive tenth place in the Premier League last season, having won the league last year. Rui Vieira
“Most of the season we were from Saturday to Saturday. At least two days before that, we think about how to defeat opponents or counter their threats, trying to play on their weaknesses, ”says Wilson. «He talks in great detail about every team we play with, the day before the game when we watch the clips you can see that he has done his homework for everyone but is also very considerate of himself.»
A year ago, Wilson's campaign kicked off with a pre-season knee injury in which the medial collateral ligament was damaged at one stage, jeopardizing his participation in the World Championships. But he made it to Qatar and ended up showing his best form in the Premier League as a result of his progress after Fulham was his sixth loan spell. A telephone conversation with Silva convinced him that Fulham should be his permanent home.
«During our first phone call, he told me how he wants his teams to play and how he sees me in this team «Goals and targets what he wants. We're lucky we were able to achieve that,» he says. It's great for the way we train. Every day the intensity is high.
“Not only in my professional life but also in my personal life I wanted to settle down, I didn’t want to play for a team for 12 months knowing I was going back to Liverpool. I wanted to settle somewhere and really be a part of the club. I had a few options, but after the phone call, I knew it was the right move, and two years later, I feel like I definitely made the right decision.» Croatia and cons of defeats from Armenia and Turkey in the last round of Euroqualification. They are getting used to life without Gareth Bale and Joe Allen, the team's talisman and midfield maestro. They were also the pranksters of the squad. Wilson says it's up to players like himself to lead the new era.
“I feel like we have a really good group of players around my age. We are no longer young and at the end of our careers,” he says. “We are in the middle of our career and the balance is really good. We have the experience of Wayne Hennessy and Ben Davis who have been there and have been successful, and a good core of players who have played 30 or 40 games and new young players showing their skills in training. We complement each other well.”
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