Sophie Ingle, Angharad James and Jess Fishlock have a combined 330 Wales caps between them and more than 37 collective years of experience playing international football.

Yet, astonishingly, it is only in the last two months they have been given licence to enjoy an on-field partnership in midfield which hasn't taken long to show its world-class credentials, given the individual qualities of the trio.

They have developed a first-rate understanding of each other, play with freedom within a positive new structure and exemplify Wales' new attacking, forward-play gameplan under manager Gemma Grainger, who is about to take charge of her ninth game after being appointed in March.

Wales Women were more often than not hard to beat under previous manager Jayne Ludlow, who cemented a bedrock of defensive sturdiness, but they are now morphing into a team which is hard to stop scoring goals, if the first half of their 2023 World Cup qualifying campaign is anything to go by - and Ingle, James and Fishlock are central, quite literally, to it all.

"When that midfield three is on a pitch, they can compete with any midfield three in the world, or any midfield in the world," manager Gemma Grainger tells WalesOnline.

"We talk about role models and players at the highest level, and those three are. They have ingredients - mentally, technically, tactically, all three of them. To get them on the ball is a big part of our identity."

MEET THE TRIO

SOPHIE INGLE

Wales captain and Barry product Ingle, 30, was a staple of Wales' defence under Ludlow and hardly played in midfield while on international duty despite shining there for Chelsea, with whom she reached the Champions League final last season.

Calm head Ingle is a stabilising influence wherever she is on the pitch, is technically superb off both feet and can read the game excellently.

Sophie Ingle of Wales celebrates after scoring the opening goal against Greece

"It's crazy to think we've been in this team together for potentially 10 years plus and only the last few games, really, we've started playing together as a midfield trio," the Team GB Olympian said.

"I don't know how or why but it just flows nicely.

"I love playing midfield. I want to get on the ball as much as I can and hopefully create things for our team. Playing with the likes of Haz [Angharad] and Jess in midfield is phenomenal for me. I've got two players in front of me who I know can receive it on the half turn, create small little passes into really big goal-scoring opportunities.

"Jess is more attacking and she can find those little pockets, me and Haz can find her. Haz does all the dirty work! She's the legs, she'll get in and around, and now we're both getting on the scoresheet as well. I think we've all added to each other's game by playing together."

Commentator and former Wales international Gwennan Harries sees parallels with another sport when it comes to Ingle's new-found role.

"Obviously it was great to have her in defence because she can open up the game well for us from the back and she sees the game very well and she's very calm, but having her in midfield, it's a little bit like a quarter-back role," she explains.

"She's dictating play and the tempo, and she's so good on the ball with either foot. You won't find many players with the technical ability in the world, in my opinion, that she's got off both feet. She's got a real range of passing. And she's got very good vision as well."

ANGHARAD JAMES

Angharad James of Wales in action

As is the case above, the 27-year-old Pembrokeshire product is often referred to as 'Haz'. She began her football dream by moving away to join Arsenal's academy aged just 16 and was a Reading stalwart before joining arguably the world's best league, America's National Women's Soccer League, earlier this year to play for North Carolina Courage.

"I love playing with both Sophie and Jess," she said. "It's something that the three of us have spoken about for a little while.

"I think the three of us compliment each other very well. It's just nice to be in a midfield that is so selfless. Both of them are very good players, so I'm learning every day off them both. It's a joy. They're great people, and even better players."

Always modest and similar to Ingle in her limelight-avoiding tendency, James is one of Wales' most talented players who somehow goes under the radar.

Former Wales captain Laura McAllister said: "I think Angharad James is an absolutely superb player, as has been shown in the US. She's a high-energy midfielder who gets around the pitch box to box, but she can hit a ball too, as some of her goals show."

Wales men's manager Rob Page is also a fan, and picked James when asked who he would select if he could take one Wales Women international into his side's World Cup play-off with Austria next year.

"Angharad James in the middle of the park has really impressed me, that's twice I've seen her play now," he said. "I think she's outstanding. The energy she's got, it reminds me of Joe Allen, she's a Joe Allen equivalent. Bosses the midfield."

On the subject of goals, Gwennan Harries is happy Wales' new gameplan allows this trio to show other aspects of their game fans perhaps may not be too familiar with.

"Angharad's always been linked with the defensive role, sitting in midfield, breaking up play and then just giving it to others around her, but she's got a lot more to her game than that. She's thriving in that position of being able to go more box to box, being able to do both sides of the game - the defensive side but joining in with the attacks as well. Her late runs from midfield have caused problems and we saw that with the opening goal against Estonia at home, just the timing of her movement from that midfield area to join in with the play, and obviously it was a great ball by Sophie.

"She's really improved on her attacking side, we've seen a lot more composure, she's getting more assists, she's getting more goals, and playing in America with that intensity has helped her game as well."

JESS FISHLOCK

Wales' Jess Fishlock scores a penalty kick in a previous campaign

Fishlock winning the "most valued player" award in the aforementioned NWSL tells you all you need to know about Wales' most-capped footballer. The 34-year-old Champions League winner has been a servant to the national team since her senior debut in 2006, and plies her club trade in Seattle with OL Reign (when she's not on loans with some of the best teams in the world during America's off-season).

The Cardiff native can now be found playing in a higher role for Wales where she is able to release her creativity.

"I think she picks up pockets of space really, really well between the other team's midfield and defensive line," Harries explains.

"She causes problems with her movement in there and when we can find her, as we saw with the goal against Estonia away, her vision is second to none.

"There's not many better in the game.

"Having that freedom to allow her to play higher is something I think Wales are getting a benefit from, because for the last 10 years she's been restricted in one way because she's had to play a lot deeper role and do a lot more defensive work so we haven't been able to see her attacking prowess and her vision as much.

"Everywhere she's been she's been so successful, and I think it says everything that she's played in so many countries and the top teams in those countries, all those top coaches want to bring her in for her qualities."

McAllister believes Fishlock is playing a different role in the team to between five and seven years ago, which is only natural as players mature, shall we say.

"You do different roles as you age in sport invariably, but what Jess is very good at is breaking up play and seeing the killer ball. She does the two things almost instantaneously."

"For such a high-profile player, she doesn't want the limelight," Grainger says. "If she doesn't score or she doesn't get an assist, you still know the contribution that she's had, that's enough for her. I think that's a really unique and humble characteristic of any player, because she will work harder than anyone on that pitch to make sure that the result is right for the team."

WHY NOW?

One may ponder why we are only now seeing this midfield combination in full flight if they are so talented, and the answer lies in Wales' former defence-focused gameplan and the depth of the squad, as 56-cap international Harries expertly explains.

"In one way, maybe it's the mentality of not being brave enough in certain games but also I do think the depth of the squad has improved a huge amount over the last couple of years. We've got stronger players in positions which is allowing those players to go into their more favoured positions.

For example, being able to now push Sophie Ingle from central defence into that midfield area, we maybe didn't have the depth to do that a couple of years ago. With the development of players like Gemma Evans, who has been outstanding so far this campaign, that then gives Gemma Grainger the opportunity to move players into other areas because of that.

"I think it's depth of the squad and maybe just being a little bit bolder, a bit braver with the mindset of the team. We've always been the underdogs and been defensive-minded and trying to hit on the counter-attack, whereas now we're actually looking to mix it up a bit more and maintain possession of the ball because we've got technical players that can do that."

WHAT MAKES IT WORK?

First thing's first, individually they are three world-class players with superb technical skill, vision and, now, an understanding of each other which Ingle reveals they often do not even need to vocalise.

"We were laughing about it the other day, that we don't actually speak that much on the pitch because we kind of don't have to," the skipper explains.

"We're aware of where each other are, and that's just from us simply checking our shoulders. If I know Jess wants to come low, I'll get out of space. That doesn't always come natural with players. A lot of the time, there is a lot of communication, but it just seems to flow nicely for the three of us, which obviously helps us trying to get the ball off the back line and create problems for the opposition."

McAllister is of the view that any club would want to sign the trio.

"Any national team would have them in their midfield," she said. "England would have them in their midfield too, by the way.

"They're the equivalent, really, of your Aaron Ramsey, Gareth Bale and maybe Dan James.

"We need to be very grateful that we've got three fantastic players and that Gemma has found a way of getting them into the right positions."

"As a midfield trio, there's not many better in the world, in my opinion," Harries added. "And I know that maybe sounds a bit of a real statement, but with the balance that they provide, you'd struggle to find a lot better in my opinion."

THE EXPECTATION TO SCORE GOALS

Make no mistake, Ingle, James and Fishlock are not simply there only to feed the ball to their front line. Grainger has explicitly said she is expecting goals from them, too.

"That's something that we've asked them to bring into their game a little bit more. When we think about Sophie playing at centre-half or centre-back for most of her international career, she's now playing in midfield consistently so the expectation is changing and we're really progressing. Really supporting them.

"Sophie, Haz and Jess have the ability to contribute with goals for this team, and assists."

A new-found confidence in the way Wales are playing and setting up, and a desire to get on the ball so much more, is only going to help with players' desire to get on the scoresheet themselves.

"I think me and Haz individually would probably say we're so used to sitting behind the ball and protecting the back line, but if we can add that part to our game and help our team create more chances or get in positions where we can score more goals ourselves then it's only going to help the team," Ingle explains.

"We've been working on that in training as well. We do extra shooting now at the end, which I never used to because it wasn't really a strength of mine and I didn't really have to work on it. But now, for this squad and the way we're playing, I think it's really important for the likes of me and Haz and even the girls who are on the bench in our positions, they're doing the same after sessions.

IN ACTION

Wales have scored 18 goals during Grainger's reign across eight games, 17 of those during five matches in the ongoing 2023 World Cup qualifying campaign.

In the second of three friendlies to kick off Grainger's chapter as Wales boss, Wales held Denmark - ranked 15th in the world compared to Wales at 34th - to a 1-1 draw thanks to a solitary goal from Fishlock.

Harries pinpoints the result as a key moment in a change of mindset for this team.

"They're not maybe as strong as they have been in the past, but they're still one of Europe's top teams. They've got a real strong history. We caused so many problems that we were able to get on the ball a lot. The movement of those three, especially Fishlock, was just pivotal.

"The goal from that Denmark game, Jess got on the end of it but it was because we were able to open up play and be braver with how we did play in that game. I just remember the finish more than anything but I'm pretty sure that started with the midfield winning the ball and being able to pass it out.

"That game in particular, I think it did a lot for the team's self belief, because maybe in the past if we have had a result against one of the top teams in Europe, for example England when we had a 0-0 draw which was a huge result, but we were camped in our half for the full game, it was a real defensive effort. Whereas in this game, we actually took the game to Denmark. That has maybe helped with the change of mentality, just having a bit more belief in themselves as individuals but as a team as well."

In the World Cup qualifiers so far - a 6-0 home win over Kazakhstan, a 1-0 win away to Estonia, a 1-1 draw away to Slovenia, a 4-0 win versus Estonia at home and a 5-0 victory against Greece at home last Friday - 17 goals have been scored by eight players, including Ingle and James.

Ingle has scored just four goals in her career and yet two of those have come this campaign, coupled with one assist. She got Wales off to a perfect start against Greece thanks to a well-timed pass from Fishlock before firing home with a single touch, as seen below.

As for James, who has three Wales goals to her tally, she has scored one and assisted another.

Fishlock's only goal of this year came against Denmark in a friendly to take her international tally to 31, while she has provided at least two assists during this World Cup campaign.

So far so good in terms of Grainger's desire to get them on the scoresheet as well as attacking threats Kayleigh Green, Tash Harding and Helen Ward, with Ceri Holland and Carrie Jones also challenging in this area.

THE LONG-TERM UNIT

Despite the aforementioned seniority of this trio on international duty, there is no end in sight. All three are playing to their strengths in this new partnership and there is genuine excitement about what is to come.

Manager Grainger said: "What's fascinating for me is it's exciting for us because they've not actually played together in that midfield three an awful lot. So when we're working with them as coaches, it's almost like building blocks, so where are we going to take this next? It's such a privilege to work with them and I'm excited to see how we can keep building on it."

James is hopeful there will be many more years to come to keep progressing as a three in the middle of the park."

"If we can keep Jess from retiring and Sophie will go on until she's 45!" she laughs. "She'll be doing the same role.

"Hopefully it's for the future. We're still building, we're still learning. It's the first time, this campaign, that we've played together as a three. It's a great place to be."

There is one caveat pointed out by Harries, coupled with the acknowledgement that more time together will only be beneficial for the team as a whole.

"With time, with more games together, that midfield trio is only going to get stronger," she added.

"But obviously it depends on the opposition you're playing against, they'll still have to have that discipline they've got in their defensive responsibilities as well.

"It's been really pleasing to see the three of them thriving in a change of system."