Wales international Lois Regan still determined to resume playing career
At the age of just 22 Lois Regan has achieved a lot in her football career.
A Wales international up to under-19 level, she has played in the Uefa Champions League, won a Welsh Cup and represented the prestigious Reading Academy.
Had she stayed injury-free, Lois could easily be pushing for a full Wales cap now and playing for an elite club.
Unfortunately, this former pupil of Ysgol Brynrefail, Llanrug, has not played in three years due to a hip injury which has caused her no end of grief.
“I had been carrying an injury in 2016, and in January 2017 during a match I was tackled and had a bad landing onto my right side,” said Lois.
“I was diagnosed with a hip labral tear in April 2017, which was operated on in October that year, and due to complications post op it’s prolonged my recovery.
“I am currently still receiving treatment and still hoping and determined to play football in the near future.”
Lois has remained in football through coaching and was involved with North Wales Women’s League side Llanberis last season.
She will be part of the new Bangor 1876 coaching set-up in the season ahead.
“Hopefully I can pass on my experience and still keep my hand in the game,” she added.
Lois began to show her football potential from a very young age.
From 2003-09 she was a member of Deiniolen (Boys) Football Club, then came three highly successful years at Llewod Llanrug.
She won the North Wales Coast FA Community Player of the Year (girl) and was automatically entered as a finalist in the National Women’s Football Trust awards in October 2012 in Cardiff.
Lois impressed in numerous competitions and shone in the Skem Athletic Tournament Merseyside in 2013, where Llanrug played Manchester City in the semi-final.
After Lois won Player of the Tournament she was asked to attend football trials for Manchester City aged 14/15 which she attended and was told that if she lived nearer they would not hesitate to sign her up.
The family decided they would not pursue due to the travelling and the impact on Lois’ education.
In 2013-14, Lois was part of the famous Caernarfon team which landed the quadruple of Under-16 Girls Welsh Cup, North Wales Coast Cup, North Wales League title and League Cup. She scored in the 2-0 Welsh Cup Final victory over Llanyrafon.
Her talents were now becoming widely noticed and she was snapped up by Reading FC’s John Madejski’s Academy.
While there between 2014-15, she was in the squad which won the English National Schools Cup and were ECFA National League runners-up.
Lois returned to the Welsh Premier League with Cwmbran Celtic and Cardiff Metropolitan, where she played in the 2016-17 Uefa Champions League.
Such was Lois’ talent as a lightning-fast striker, she was selected for Wales Under-16s as a 13-year-old and the U-17’s aged 14.
Appearances for Wales U-18 and U-19 in prestigious Uefa tournaments followed.
Injuries have since halted Lois’ progress and after a long battle on the treatment table, everyone who knows her is hoping she can eventually return to action.
A true star of North Wales football. ⭐️
LOIS REGAN – FOOTBALL CV
Born: July 30, 1998
EDUCATION
Ysgol Gwaun Gynfi Deiniolen: 2002 – 2008
Ysgol Brynrefail, Llanrug: 2008 – 2014
John Madejski Academy, Reading: 2014 – 2015
Coleg Y Cymoedd, Ystrad Mynach: 2015 – 2016
Cardiff Met University, Cardiff: 2016 – 2017
CLUBS PLAYED FOR
Deiniolen (Boys) FC 2003-2009
Llewod Llanrug 2009-2012
Caernarfon 2012-2014
Reading – John Madejski Academy 2014-15
Cwmbran Celtic 2015-16
Cardiff Met 2016 – 2017
OTHER REPRESENTATIVE FOOTBALL
North Wales Coast Football Academy
Team Eryri
HONOURS
YSGOL BRYNREFAIL
Welsh School Cup winners 2011 – Under 13’s and Under 14’s
Welsh School Cup winners 2012 – Under 14’s
North Wales Schools Champions 2013 – Under 16’s
CAERNARFON
2013-14: winners North Wales League, League Cup, North Wales Coast Cup, Under-16 Welsh Cup.
JOHN MADEJSKI ACADEMY – READING FC
March 2015 – English National School Cup Champions
May 2015 – ECFA National League runners-up
COLEG Y CYMOEDD
Played for Welsh Colleges:
20/12/2015 – England v Wales @ St George’s Park
03/02/2016 – Wales 3 England 3 @ Dragon Park, Newport
CARDIFF METROPOLITAN
Played in Champions League – August 2016.
2016/2017 – Premier Women’s League Cup winners
INTERNATIONAL APPEARANCES – WALES
Under-16’s (aged 13)
April 3-6, 2012 – U16 Bob Doherty Tournament @ Dublin (Lois scored)
August 28-31, 2012 – U16 Development Tournament @ Finland
October 1, 2012 – Wales 0 Belgium 6 (Porthmadog)
October 3, 2012 – Wales 0 Belgium 9 (Bangor)
Under-17’s (aged 14)
February 2013 – 2 friendlies v England (St George’s Park)
March 2013 – E-mail received from WFA informing U17’s would be her main team and not U16’s.
Uefa U17’s Tournament (Cardiff)
16/04/2013 – Wales v Iceland
17/04/2013 – Wales v Faroe Island
19/04/2013 – Wales v Northern Ireland
Development Tournament (Ireland)
07/05/2013 – Wales v Belgium
08/05/2013 – Wales v Czech Rep (Girl of the Match)
10/05/2013 – Republic of Ireland v Wales
Friendlies
12/06/2013 – Scotland v Wales
14/06/2013 – Scotland v Wales
August 2013 UEFA Euro Qualifiers (Denmark)
Missed due to quad injury
Uefa Development Tournament (Belfast)
13/04/2014 – Wales 0 Iceland 4
14/04/2014 – Wales 2 Faroe Islands 0
16/04/2014 – N. Ireland 2 Wales 0
Friendlies (Newport)
27/08/2014 – Wales v Northern Ireland
29/08/2014 – Wales v Northern Ireland
U17’s Qualification (Latvia)
06/10/2014 – Belarus v Wales
08/10/2014 – Latvia v Wales
11/10/2014 – Wales v Belgium
January and February 2015
Attended Combined U17 and U19 Training Camp
Under-18
W18’s Uefa Development Tournament (Macedonia)
18/06/2015 – Wales 1 v Croatia 2
19/06/2015 – Macedonia 1 v Wales 3 (Lois scored x 1)
21/06/2015 – Wales 4 v Moldovia 1 (Lois scored x 1)
03-04 July 2015 – Attended training camp with Women’s senior squad @ Dragon Park, Newport.
Under-19
W19’s UEFA Qualifying Tournament (Oswestry)
15/09/2015 – Wales v Azerbaijan
17/09/2015 – Wales v Croatia
20/09/2015 – Wales v Belgium
Friendly (Newport)
28/01/2016 – Wales 3 Northern Ireland 2 (Lois scored x 2)