Harry Wilson has returned to the Wales squad after injury and criticised the extended international break that saw him miss four UEFA Nations League matches. The 29-year-old is back in the fold after missing the last couple of camps with a hamstring injury.
Wales travel to Oslo this weekend knowing they could still progress to March's quarter-finals, although they remain in danger of relegation back to League B. Wilson was forced to watch from afar as Craig Bellamy's side played four games, including an impressive win over Saturday's opponents.
Wilson's Frustration at the Four-Game Window
The forward, who has emerged as a key man for Wales in recent times, was clearly not a fan of the prolonged break, echoing similar sentiments from boss Craig Bellamy, who claimed the extended break benefited bigger nations.
"Whoever came up with that four-game window needs sacking honestly," Wilson said. "You get an injury a couple of days before that and it rules you out for four games and you should only miss two. I wasn't happy with the timing and the fixture pile-up just all worked out the wrong way really."
"I'm fully fit [now]. It was just a couple-week injury but like I said, it just happened to fall when we had four games and four great games as well. I was absolutely gutted to miss them but I'm fully, fully, fully fit now and I'm ready to go."
Support from Joe Rodon and Leeds Teammates
Wilson freely admits he struggled with having to watch his team-mates from afar, but did at least have a close friend to lean on through it all.
"I can't sit still [when I'm watching]. I can't enjoy the games knowing I can't influence them. It's a long way from Leeds and me and Joe Rodon were in for rehab the next day so we weren't able to get down. So yeah we watched on the tele and like I said I'm not a great watcher, especially when I can't affect the game so it's tough."
"It was frustrating. Obviously being injured is always frustrating. You miss a few games and you have to keep up your fitness work in the gym. Then getting back in the team after that when the team is doing well can be tough as well so you've just got to persevere, be patient and just wait for your chances."
Wilson says having Rodon, who himself recently came back from injury, for support was hugely helpful. "You'd rather have your mate around to do it," he added. "I know it was at kind of different stages. His was obviously a bigger injury than mine and he was halfway through. So I think he had a few more weeks work than me, but I feel like when you've got your mate there to get you through it, especially being a fellow Welshman as well. It was definitely better to be doing the work with him than on my own."
Wilson wouldn't have had to look too far for a familiar face at Elland Road, with four of his international team-mates already on the books before he arrived on a free transfer from Fulham in the summer. "There is a big gang here," he said. "I feel like that definitely helped me in moving up there, settling into the squad and stuff. To have them boys there definitely helped."
Slow Start at Leeds and Bellamy's Confidence
Having missed the last six Wales games, Wilson will be itching to get going again, although he comes in with just three starts to his name in the Premier League this season. Addressing that record will be another personal ambition for the 29-year-old, who insists his recent injury troubles haven't been the main factor behind his slow start in a Leeds shirt.
"I feel like I only ended up missing one game with the international break, so I wasn't able to play against Palace, but I don't think it had a massive effect on that. I just think at the start of the season when I wasn't in the team, the team was doing well. I'm an honest player. I understand that. I've been in starting XIs and teams where I'm doing well and I don't want to be dropped."
"But then, yeah, a bit more recently wins have started to be a little bit more difficult to come by and I've started a few more games. I think that's how football is. I'm a player that wants to play every game but ultimately it's the manager's decision and the players who do play have to perform to stay in the team."
Bellamy isn't concerned by Wilson's lack of game time, however, and has suggested this international window could provide the platform on which he can kickstart his season for club and country. "He has been outstanding," Bellamy said last week. "But when we first came in, Harry wasn't starting regularly at Fulham either, and international duty acted as a launchpad that kick-started his club form. My message is always the same. Work hard, don't sulk, and force your way into your club team. Harry is the ultimate professional in that regard. I have zero doubts he will be ready to make a major impact for us."
