Josie Green column: Pride, belief and excitement as Wales await Euro debut

We are super excited now. We have had moments in the past week of thinking “we are in Switzerland and the tournament is right around the corner now”.

I think when we qualified in December, six months felt like a long way away, but the time has gone in a flash. Now we are really feeling excited and we are raring to go for that first game in Lucerne against the Netherlands.

The Nations League A was a perfect preparation from our point of view for this tournament, we played some top-quality teams and being in League A means every minute is competitive.

We’ve reflected on what went well, what we can improve on and have taken really valuable lessons going into this European Championship.

Things didn’t click for us in our last game, against Italy, but I think you learn a lot from the days when things don’t go well for you.

Every team has days when they aren’t at their best. I think if we didn’t have that game we might not be as strong and focused a unit as we are now.

No-one wants to have a result like that, but I think we’ve utilised it in the most positive way that we can.

We feel like we built some really strong foundations as a group of players in the past months since our qualification in Dublin. Our manager Rhian Wilkinson has been drip-feeding information on every single camp and a lot of us have had a lot of minutes under her as well.

I do feel that bodes particularly well for us as a squad coming up to the Euros, you see lots of players getting on the pitch and that is really important for us in terms of our development as a nation.

Saturday is going to mean so much to us.

We will feel immense pride first and foremost to be the first Welsh team in a major tournament. We will feel that not just for us but for those who came before and paved the way for us.

Our manager Rhian Wilkinson is one of the key reasons why we are where we are.

I have found Rhian absolutely fantastic to work with, I sit in some of her meetings and she delivers the messages and I think “wow, that is such an impassioned and empowered speech”.

I always think that she leaves me with little snippets I can take away.

That’s what you want as a player, a coach that inspires you, who motivates you and who pushes you on and also makes you feel valued as a member of the group.

I’ve worked under a lot of different managers and I know it is not an easy job to do, particularly when you’re coming in just before the start of a qualifying campaign and you need to hit the ground running.

The thing that I believe makes this group special is the bond we have with each other. I know everyone says it, but it is a family.

Because of that, a lot of our thoughts are with the players who couldn’t be here because of injury, namely our goalkeeper Laura O’Sullivan and defender Mayzee Davies, who are both missing out on the tournament after undergoing knee surgery.

We are missing them and it is very unfortunate they couldn’t make it.

On the flip side to that, what a boost for us to have Sophie Ingle back in the squad with us because she’s a great person to have around.

On the pitch she brings her leadership qualities. The other day in the heat she was the one pushing for our training session to carry on, because she is the ultimate professional.

We are super excited to have her in the group. It’s so important for us.

I know we are all very excited to see the Red Wall on Saturday and we will have family coming out to watch us.

Switzerland has been very welcoming to us and certainly we have enjoyed our time here so far. Obviously there is not a lot we can do about the weather, but ‘hot’ is definitely a word we have been using a lot.

It was great on Tuesday for us to get to see some of the amazing scenery in the country when we took a cable car up the Hoher Kasten mountain in the Swiss Alps.

It was a really nice moment to reflect and see some of the country, stay present and reflect on being in the tournament.