Darlow Praises Wales’ “Guts and Determination” in Goalless Draw Against Turkey

Karl Darlow, at 34 years old, made his debut for Wales against Montenegro in September 2024, becoming the team’s oldest first-time player since the Second World War. The upcoming Nations League match between Wales and Iceland is scheduled for Tuesday, 20 November, at 19:45 GMT, at Cardiff City Stadium. Live coverage will be available on S4C, BBC Radio Wales, Radio Cymru, and through live text and commentary on the BBC Sport website and app. Goalkeeper Karl Darlow stated that Wales displayed “guts and determination” to secure a goalless 0-0 draw during their away match against Turkey on Saturday. Darlow, aged 34, reported that lighters were thrown in his direction at the Kadir Has Stadium in Kayseri, Turkey, where Craig Bellamy’s team encountered a highly hostile environment. A penalty missed late in the game by Kerem Akturkoglu means Wales remains in second place in Nations League Group B4, trailing leaders Turkey by two points, ahead of Tuesday’s concluding fixtures. “As soon as we walked out you could hear the whistle and the boos,” Darlow recounted. He added, “Lighters were being thrown into the six-yard box and I’ve never experienced the sheer whistling and noise like that.” Darlow executed several vital saves, contributing to the goalless scoreline, while Wales frequently found themselves defending. Wales also created scoring opportunities, with Harry Wilson nearly scoring when his shot struck the post during the first half. Despite the outcome giving Turkey an advantage heading into the last round of matches, Darlow expressed that Wales could be proud of their performance. Darlow stated, “We managed to communicate and defend solidly, and the effort from front to back was incredible.” He continued, “We knew what what to expect, we knew it was going to be hostile. They were going to press and run hard and they did all of that.” Darlow emphasized, “We had to show real guts and determination to come away with a 0-0 and a clean sheet.” He concluded, “It is something we can all be proud of.” Darlow has achieved two clean sheets across his three international appearances, rapidly gaining the approval of Wales supporters. The 34-year-old also expressed his satisfaction with the confidence shown in him by head coach Bellamy. Darlow remarked, “I’ve come in late and I know they wanted me here.” He added, “But you don’t know until you get here whether they’re going to have the faith in you.” Darlow concluded, “Thankfully he has and hopefully I’ve repaid him so far. Nights like this are why you do it, it was fantastic.” Wales boss Bellamy stated, “We want to be at this level all the time.” Wales will conclude their Nations League campaign on Tuesday night at the Cardiff City Stadium, playing against Iceland. For their part, Bellamy’s team needs to defeat Iceland and also rely on Turkey losing to Montenegro. Should Wales secure a victory but still finish second in Group B4, they will participate in a Nations League promotion play-off in March.