Matty Jones has left his role as Wales under-21s boss with immediate effect, the Football Association of Wales (FAW) has confirmed. His departure follows a second consecutive unsuccessful bid to qualify for the European Championships.
The 46-year-old was appointed in September 2022 and most recently oversaw a fourth-placed finish in his side's latest qualifying campaign. Wales won just two of their eight group stage fixtures and suffered several heavy defeats, the latest being a 7-1 loss to Austria.
Heavy defeats and a change of direction
Earlier in the campaign, Wales were beaten 7-0 by Belgium, as well as losing 4-0 and 6-2 to Denmark. There was also a 3-0 defeat to Belarus, and it appears the FAW has now decided to go in a different direction.
In a statement confirming the news, the FAW noted the number of talented youngsters Jones helped bring through the ranks, including Liverpool's Lewis Koumas and Cardiff City's Dylan Lawlor, both of whom have emerged as important players at senior level under boss Craig Bellamy.
"Although Jones was unable to take Cymru to their first U21 Finals in his two attempts, his success in the role can be measured by the players who progressed to the senior Cymru squad during his tenure," the statement read.
Players progressed to senior squad
"Joel Colwill, Joe Low, Cian Ashford, Charlie Savage, Charlie Crew, Dylan Lawlor, Cameron Congreve, Lewis Koumas and Kai Andrews are just some of the players who have progressed from Jones' U21 team and into the Cymru senior squad.
"The FAW would like to put on record its gratitude to Matty Jones for his commitment to the Cymru National Teams and wish him the very best for the future."
In a statement graphic posted on social media, Jones said: "My greatest honour to have done this role, my biggest heartbreak to lose it."
First campaign near miss
Jones, who won 13 caps for Wales before being forced to retire at the age of 23, came close to seeing Wales reach the Euros during his first campaign. However, his side missed out on the play-offs due to the head-to-head record with Czechia.
Their efforts against the Czechs were also hampered by an administrative error, which left Jones unable to name several key players, including Rubin Colwill and Owen Beck. Jones was subsequently forced to name a severely depleted bench, which contained three spare places and no reserve goalkeeper.
