Former Caley Thistle and Aberdeen favourite Marley Watkins has not given up on his dream of representing Wales again.
Watkins had hoped to force himself into Euro 2020 contention this year with impressive club form, however a hamstring injury sustained while with the Dons hampered his season.
He has two caps to his name and made his debut for Wales in a friendly against Panama in 2017. Current Aberdeen stand-out Ryan Hedges also won his first cap in that game, along with current squad regulars Ethan Ampadu and David Brooks.
Watkins’ only other appearance came in a 6-0 win over China in March 2018, which was the last squad he was part of.
Robert Page will name his squad for the European Championships before the end of this month, ahead of games against Italy, Switzerland and Turkey.
A lack of game-time appears to have curbed Watkins’ chances of making this tournament squad but he still harbours aspirations of pulling on the red jersey once again.
He said: “That was another reason why the injury was annoying. I would have played (at Bristol City) and I would have got a chance. It was frustrating, with the Euros coming up.
“I wanted to impress enough to get a caull-up and that’s something I’m definitely looking to do in the future.
“I haven’t given up on the idea of playing for Wales – I just haven’t played enough.
“A lot of things in football are out of our control. We’ve just got to enjoy the ride. I’ve got a lot of mates there (in the Wales team) and I’ll be buzzing for them.”
Watkins is on the lookout for a new club, after his release from Bristol City, and feels there is plenty left for him to offer.
Getting injured in the Scottish Cup semi-final against Celtic ended his loan spell with the Dons but the 2015 Scottish Cup winner – he scored in the final for Caley Thistle – does not feel turning 30 will have a negative impact on his career.
“I don’t really think about that,” added Watkins. “I feel fresh and you’re a better player at 30.
“You look at Zlatan Ibrahimovic as an example. His stats are better after 30 than before, so you should be a better player.”