Jess Fishlock says she is "fleshing out the details" over a potential role with Wales following her retirement from international football.
Jess Fishlock says she is "fleshing out the details" over a potential role with Wales following her retirement from international football.
Wales boss Rhian Wilkinson said in December that she hoped Fishlock, who ended her stellar international career last October, would join her coaching staff for the start of World Cup qualifying in March.
Seattle Reign midfielder Fishlock, 39, says her phone "blew up" after Wilkinson's comments – and that she got a telling off from her mother because she found out the news from the media rather than her daughter.
"My mum saw it and asked, are you working for Rhian? She got me in trouble," Fishlock said.
On whether she has spoken to Wilkinson and what the role might be, Fishlock said: "I can't say, but we had a brief conversation about me being involved and what it would look like - I just didn't realise it would go public.
"But we have had conversations, we are on the same page, just fleshing out the details."
Fishlock is Wales' record appearance maker and goalscorer, having won 166 senior caps and scored 48 times.
She stepped away from Wales duty in the wake of Euro 2025, the country's first major international women's football tournament, insisting it was "the right time" after her farewell appearance in a friendly against Australia.
On the idea of playing some part for Wales in their 2027 World Cup qualifiers against Czech Republic and Montenegro in March, Fishlock remains coy.
"I would love to stay involved in some capacity; it wasn't a clean break - I still text the girls all the time. But we will just wait and see," Fishlock told BBC Sport.
Fishlock played 18 times for Seattle Reign last season and helped them qualify for the end-of-season play-offs in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
Her contribution at club level has led some in Wales to suggest she could still play a full part as Wilkinson's team attempt to qualify for the Women's World Cup finals for the first time.
But though Fishlock says she misses her international team-mates, she has reiterated that the time has come for the next generation to take over.
"People have said, if you are back you may as well play," she says. "But it is still the right time not to play internationals.
"I still want to help any way I can, my experience being around might help. But no, no thoughts about coming out of retirement."
Fishlock also has no regrets about the Euros, despite Wales being outclassed in a group with France, Netherlands and eventual champions England.
Wales lost all three games while conceding 13 goals, leaving them with the worst group stage record in the history of the competition.
"I still look back at it with such pride and joy," Fishlock says. "Getting to represent the entire country, it was even more impactful that I thought it was going to be.
"Seeing how Wales showed up for us, that was the best part of it all. As a competitor it hurt, but the whole world seeing who we are as a nation overrides it.
"I still get goosebumps coming out for the first game [versus Netherlands] and seeing the Red Wall - it will stay with me forever."
Ben Haines, Ellen White and Jen Beattie are back for another season of the Women's Football Weekly podcast. New episodes drop every Tuesday on BBC Sounds, plus find interviews and extra content from the Women's Super League and beyond on the Women's Football Weekly feed
Category: General Sports
