Young Sensation Charlie Savage Stays with Wales for Euro 2024 Qualifier After Dazzling Debut

charlie savage
charlie savage
Wales manager Rob Page has confirmed that 20-year-old midfielder Charlie Savage will stay with the squad for the Euro 2024 qualifier against Croatia on Sunday.

Emerging Star Shines Against Gibraltar

Savage, son of former Wales midfielder Robbie, has left an indelible mark with the national team after his impressive performance against Gibraltar.

In his full senior debut, Savage played a pivotal role as Wales secured a convincing 4-0 win against Gibraltar in Wrexham. Following the match, he was set to join the under-21 squad for a European Championship qualifier against Czech Republic. However, in light of his display, Page decided to retain Savage for the crucial clash with Croatia in Cardiff. Wycombe central defender Joe Low, who also made his senior debut against Gibraltar, has also been retained.

“We’ll keep Savage and Joe, not just off the back of tonight,” Page asserted. “They’ve done themselves the world of good. Sav has earned the right to be with us, and I’ve got a lot of time for Joe. He’s earned the right to be there with injuries we’ve got.”

Against Gibraltar, Savage provided an assist for Kieffer Moore’s header, contributing to a dominant first half where all four goals were scored. Moore, the Bournemouth striker, added two goals to his tally, bringing him to 12 goals for Wales – just one shy of Ryan Giggs and four away from the top 10 all-time scorers for Wales.

The result means that Wales have secured back-to-back victories for the first time since November 2021. Page emphasised the importance of their performance and said, “The results were not great in June, but it’s how you bounce back, and we did that in September with class [winning 2-0 in Latvia].”

Savage’s journey from Manchester United to League One side Reading in the summer was praised by Page. He noted that Savage’s decision to play regular competitive football has been instrumental in his development.

Wales Prepare for Crucial Clash with Croatia

Wales now eagerly await the clash against Croatia on Sunday. The reverse fixture saw the sides draw 1-1 back in March, following a late equaliser from Nathan Broadhead. Looking ahead of the game, Page confidently stated, “We are ready and can’t wait for Sunday’s game.”

In other news, Wes Burns suffered an arm injury and has returned to Ipswich for further assessment by his club.


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