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Wolves loanee Conor Coady: I never thought I'd get one England cap

On loan Wolves defender Conor Coady has admitted he never thought he would get a single England cap - let alone be in the squad for a World Cup.

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The 29-year-old defender, who had been an ever present over recent years for Wolves - left the club in the summer to return to his home city to join Everton on a year long loan deal after being left out of the side during pre-season.

Over recent years, Coady has been a regular in the England squad and has been providing back up to John Stones and Harry Maguire in Qatar - alongside Arsenal's Ben White.

On Tuesday night, England face Wales knowing that if they avoid defeat then they will qualify for the knockout stages of the competition.

The last time England faced Wales came in a friendly win back in 2020 - with Coady among the scorers with his first goal for his country.

And reflecting on the moment heading into Tuesday's clash - Coady admits that he never thought he would get one England cap, let alone ten and be at a World Cup.

"You're always dreaming of those things and that night was something I've always dreamed of," explained the defender.

"I remember Tripps (Kieran Trippier) putting the ball in and it was one of the proudest moments of my life.

"It landed on my toe and I thought, is this really happening, it was like slow motion.

"To be honest, I never thought I'd play for England so to then score, and then go on to get ten caps, I never thought I'd get one.

"I remember running off and I was at Wolves at the time and I never went up for corners. So I did it, scored, and I was getting loads of messages from people at Wolves saying, 'you never go up!'

"So I told them they should put me up there from now on.

"I put my head to the sky running off and had a bit of a chuckle to myself about the fact I had just scored for England, and I'll remember that forever more."

Coady was part of the England squad at the last Euros and despite having to watch from the sidelines, England's assistant manager Steve Holland said he was one of the most important members of the squad - for the encouragement and support he would give players away from the field.

And the former Wolves defender insists he took huge pride in that and his role within the England set up.

He said: "I took a lot of pride in that, as you don't expect it.

"To hear something like that gives you a huge boost, and it lets you know you are still doing the right things.

"When you are not playing it is tough sometimes, but if I can't play I want to help the lads so to hear that about myself is top drawer, it gives you a boost.

"We are all professionals and want to play, but if I'm not playing as much I want to push the lads, it is personal pride. We are here for one thing and one thing only and that is to get as far as we can and win as a team."