ABERYSTWYTH footballer Rhys Norrington-Davies will be hoping to feature for Wales when they kick off their World Cup Qualifiers this Wednesday night.

The young defender, who plays for Championship side Stoke City on loan from Premier club Sheffield United, will look to win his fourth senior cap when Cymru take on familiar foes Belgium away in Leuven for the group’s opening match on Wednesday, before travelling to Cardiff to face Mexico in a friendly on Saturday.

The World Cup Qualifiers then resume on Tuesday, 30 March when the Czech Republic visit the Cardiff City Stadium.

Rhys told the Cambrian News tonight: “I am delighted to be called up once more and looking forward to meeting up with the rest of the squad and having a successful week.

“There’s a couple of tough fixtures but ones I feel we can get positive results from. We’ll have to be at our best throughout to ensure that we put ourselves in the best possible position to finish top of the group.

“It’s a great opportunity to show the management staff my ability on the pitch.

“Especially with the Euros this summer. It’s a really important camp for the squad to try and earn their spot so everyone will be eager to do well.”

Former Ysgol Penglais pupil Norrington-Davies is part of the 31-man squad, a larger group than usual to cope with the tight run of fixtures.

The squad will be back in action for the first time in 2021 following their stellar performance in the UEFA Nations League and subsequent promotion to League A.

The versatile defender has won three senior Wales caps, making his debut in October, starting the 1-0 Nations League victory in Bulgaria.

He also started the wins against the Republic of Ireland and Finland as Wales sealed top spot in their group.

He scored his first goal for Stoke in a 2-0 win over Wycombe Wanderers on 6 March and featured in their 1-0 victory against Wayne Rooney’s Derby County on Saturday before joining the Wales squad at the Vale Resort on Sunday.