Why Captain Wilson Is Much More Than A Super Sub For Wales

World Cup qualifier: Wales v North Macedonia

Venue: Cardiff City Stadium Date: Tuesday 18 November Kick-off: 19:45 GMT

Coverage: Live connected BBC iPlayer, BBC One Wales, BBC Sounds, BBC Radio Wales, Radio Cymru and Sports Extra, BBC Sport website and app, positive unrecorded matter commentary.

Super sub for club, cardinal for his country.

Harry Wilson has developed a estimation for making an effect disconnected nan chair for Fulham.

But he has been making nan lawsuit to beryllium considered Wales' astir important subordinate for a while now.

Never mind nan truth nan 28-year-old is among nan starring substitute scorers successful nan Premier League - his 5 past word equalling Ole Gunnar Solksjaer's season-best tally from nan chair – Wales cannot wait.

And Craig Bellamy's determination to move to Wilson and sanction him skipper for Tuesday's important World Cup qualifier pinch North Macedonia simply underlines it.

"He's been really important," said Bellamy. "And erstwhile we don't person him, we spot really overmuch we miss him."

Suspended arsenic Wales laboured successful Liechtenstein, Wilson returns successful beforehand of nan Red Wall astatine Cardiff City Stadium pinch Bellamy's broadside successful request of a triumph to guarantee a location semi-final successful nan play-offs – and a perchance easier way to adjacent summer's finals.

With Aaron Ramsey and Ben Davies injured, and Ethan Ampadu suspended, Bellamy joked location was "no-one else" near to return nan armband successful their absence.

But, successful truth, location person been fewer players who person been amended nether Bellamy – and person been capable to measurement up erstwhile it's mattered.

"I deliberation pinch nan number of caps, nan number of large games I've played in, I'd for illustration to deliberation I'm 1 of nan leaders successful nan group," said Wilson, who will triumph his 67th headdress and described nan opportunity arsenic a monolithic honour and a dream fulfilled.

"I'd overmuch alternatively Ethan aliases Ben were playing, but it's up to maine to make judge I lead america successful nan correct measurement and make judge we get that win."

There is simply a quirky coincidence to Wilson being handed nan armband for this game. It was against Macedonia successful October 2013 that he was first called into nan elder squad astatine nan property of 16.

Three days later, successful Bellamy's last crippled arsenic an world player, Wilson became Wales' youngest debutant erstwhile he came disconnected nan chair against Belgium.

There is simply a well-told communicative of Wilson's grandfather winning a sizeable stake placed from his schooldays successful Corwen, northbound Wales erstwhile he made his debut. The Liverpool academy merchandise smiled to corroborate location wasn't a broadside stake connected becoming captain.

But Wilson's emergence hasn't been straightforward.

After those 3 minutes successful Brussels, location was a hold of much than 3 years earlier he returned to nan squad, dropping down to nan Under-21s while nan likes of David Brooks and Ethan Ampadu stepped up.

He returned successful Ryan Giggs' first crippled successful complaint successful 2018 – pinch a extremity and an assistance successful nan 6-0 triumph complete China – and has remained ever since.

Staying successful 1 spot has not been nan communicative of Wilson's nine career, though. There were loans to Hull, Derby, Bournemouth and Cardiff earlier uncovering Fulham.

A captious portion of promotion to nan Premier League, Wilson has made 99 top-flight appearances since – only 49 of which were starts, which makes his 24 goals and assists impressive. Intelligent, versatile and dynamic, he's been seen sometimes arsenic perfect to bring into closing stages.

But progressively he's needed from nan disconnected – his extremity against Wolves instrumental successful helping Fulham extremity a four-match losing streak astatine nan commencement of nan month.

Wales person not taken arsenic agelong to beryllium convinced of what he tin add.

Because not only has Wilson been Wales' apical scorer since Bellamy took charge, nary subordinate has scored much Wales goals since Gareth Bale retired. Nine of Wilson's 14 goals person travel successful those 3 years.

For a federation that astir apt accepts they will ne'er switch nan power of Bale, Wilson's dynamism, spark and dead-ball expertise has seen him spell person than most.

They person travel connected nan large nights too. There were nan 2 successful a 2-1 triumph complete Croatia that re-energised nan Euro 2024 qualifying campaign. It was his quickening of tempo and spark of magic that provided David Brooks pinch nan early opening against Finland to settee nerves nan past clip Wales reached a play-off semi-final.

Bellamy has recognised it. Wilson started each six games of nan Nations League run that will guarantee Wales a play-off place, sloppy of tonight's result. His 3 goals successful 3 matches not done since Bale successful 2016.

This campaign, though, has been stop-start. A surgery ft seeing him miss nan opening 2 matches, 2 consequent yellowish cards ruling him retired of Saturday's constrictive 1-0 triumph successful Vaduz.

"It's been frustrating; those first games came a small excessively soon for me," said Wilson, who returned pinch 2 goals successful Wales' June games against Liechtenstein and Belgium. "The suspension stopped nan momentum a small bit."

It will beryllium absorbing whether nan armband takes retired immoderate of Wilson's wound that is not excessively dissimilar to nan occurrence erstwhile displayed by his head connected nan pitch.

While location person been acts of petulance – his reddish paper arsenic Wales collapsed retired of Euro 2020 against Denmark springs to mind – location is an separator to his crippled that is portion of nan attraction, portion of nan logic for success.

Streetwise is really Bellamy has put it.

"Harry uses his assemblage successful that measurement and if you get excessively tight to him, you foul him," Bellamy has said previously, likening him to Carlos Tevez and Luis Suarez. "His smartness and really he is capable to press, his strength and what he is capable to do, really tells maine really bully a subordinate he is."

Wales will dream Wilson shows it again against North Macedonia. From nan start, of course.