Ronan Kpakio

Kpakio broke into Cardiff's first team picture quickly once his chance arrived, impressing enough in early training to suggest his rapid academy progress was no fluke. He plays right back with genuine attacking intent, always looking to get beyond the winger ahead of him rather than staying purely defensive. His pace down the flank makes him a consistent outlet, and he has already shown he can finish a move himself.

What stands out most is how quickly that promise translated into a senior Wales call up, arriving before he had banked much experience at his own club, a sequence that usually happens the other way around. That kind of early trust brings its own pressure, since a young full back still learning defensively now does so under considerably more scrutiny. How he balances that expectation will shape the next stage of his career.