Josie Green exclusive: Wales' Euros hopes, journaling & the art of psychology

Almost 15 years after her Wales debut, reaching the Euros is a "long-standing dream" for Josie Green, who reveals how she prepares against big-name stars

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Qualifying for your first-ever major tournament can bring with it a mixture of emotions like no other. Excitement, happiness, apprehension, nervousness; it’s enough to test the mental fortitude of any player.

Wales could well need an army of mentality monsters to navigate them through their first outing at a European Championships, but with someone like Josie Green in their ranks, that task might be easier than you think.

At club level, it hasn’t been the easiest of seasons for Green at Crystal Palace, suffering relegation in her first campaign with the Eagles. However, when she puts on that red shirt, the defender transforms into somebody who encapsulates the Welsh fighting spirit.

When faced up against some of the world’s best, Green has kept them quiet for 90 minutes and more. Katie McCabe, Alex Popp and Pernille Harder are just some of football’s elite who have been back-pocketed by the Palace ace, but when asked how she prepares to face such greats, Green has a very simple answer.

“I have the same mindset going into each game. I like to tell myself it’s business as usual, and it doesn’t really matter what game I’m playing in or even if it’s training, I try to prepare in the exact same manner and have the exact same rituals before everything I do.

“That’s really helped me to find some level of consistency at club and country, and having those tools I have now and learned along the way has given me great prep heading into any game.”

And when you delve into the psyche of Green, you begin to realise that this isn’t just a mantra she tells herself, this is something she practises day in day out.

Psychology and mindset are becoming increasingly key to an athlete’s bag of tricks, and it’s something that taps into Green’s inquisitive side.

“I have a bit of a nerdy side to me, and if someone tells me about the science behind something - like journaling can help reduce your cortisone level and it can help improve presence - then I want to maximise my game, and I’ll try to implement it in my game to see if it works.

“I’ve found these little tools along the way that have really helped me.”

With so many tools at her disposal, Green now has plenty of tricks to help her out in games and in life, and it’s something she is keen to teach others about now and in the future.

“I’d love to be able to do something on it in the future. I have a pipe dream of owning my own yoga, mindfulness and breathwork business, but it’s busy being a footballer with a European Championships coming up!

“It’s something I have a real interest in and I want to utilise it a lot more in football. In a way, it can be a mental toolbox for athletes to help prepare them for a game or a competition or anything. It’s a part of the game that can be developed and people can use a lot more.”

The future is bright

It’s clear when speaking to Green that she is a natural teacher, eager to help others out when needed, and that can really help Wales in the future.

Plenty in this squad are under the age of 26, while the Under-19 team have become the first Welsh team ever to stay in League A of their European Championship qualifying group.

The likes of the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland have faded away after participating in maiden international tournaments, but Green is confident that with the talent coming through, Wales won’t suffer the same fate as other home nations.

“It’s so important for us to see so many young players in our system. Everyone that’s here already has a real passion to leave the shirt in a better place than when they found it, and we don’t want to qualify for just one tournament, we want this to be a regular thing.

“It’s so important for young players to have the opportunity to thrive in that environment, and hopefully this Euros can improve the outlook for future Wales players.”

Dreams come true

Manager Rhian Wilkinson will need her younger stars and veteran players to work together come the summer, as Wales take their first bow on an international stage.

It’s almost six months since Cymru defied the odds to beat Ireland at the Aviva Stadium, and while aspects of their achievements have settled in, Green admits other parts may not be fully appreciated until they return from Switzerland.

“After that night in Dublin, we were all on such a high and talking about it now and about going to Switzerland, it’s all starting to feel a bit more real.

“It’ll probably be after the tournament that I’ll sit down and think, wow, we actually did that. I’m so proud of everyone and how far we’ve come.”

And when you delve into it, all of the players in this team have come a long way.

Take Green, for example. She made her Wales debut in August 2010 when she was 16 years old. A few caps followed, before a five-year gap between senior caps. The Eagle was brought back into the setup in 2019, and since then, has provided consistency and resilience to the Welsh backline.

Everyone has been on a journey, and in Luzern on 5 July against the Netherlands, Green is hoping hers comes full circle.

“It’s massive for me. I remember doing an interview back in 2016 with the Match of the Day magazine, and one of the questions was, ‘What’s one thing that you want to do in your career?’

“I’ve got it at home, but I wrote, ‘qualify for a major tournament’, and that’s now approaching 10 years ago. It’s been such a long-standing dream for me, and I’m super proud that we’ve managed to make history as a team together.”