Mared scores in first game for Sunderland – a year to the day she made her full Cymru debut
Mared Griffiths scored twice on her Manchester United debut 12 months ago – and she was on the mark again in her first game for Sunderland at the weekend.
The 18-year-old Wales international from Trawsfynydd came on as a 75th minute substitute for The Lasses in a WSL 2 River Wear derby at Durham on Friday night and netted a cracker to put her new team 2-1 up en route to a 3-2 victory.
The latest magic moment in the youngster’s career arrived exactly a year to the day she made her full international debut for Wales.
Griffiths took just six minutes to register on the scoresheet for SAFC, who she recently joined on loan from Manchester United until the end of the 2025-26 season.
The teenager cut inside before curling a precise effort into the far corner to hand Mel Reay’s side a deserved lead inside the final 10 minutes.
The exciting winger links up with The Lasses as she takes the next step in her development, arriving on Wearside after progressing through the Red Devils’ academy system.
Griffiths made the Manchester United matchday squad for the first time in December 2024, featuring in a League Cup group stage fixture against Newcastle United.
In February 2025, Griffiths scored twice on her debut for United in an FA Cup tie as a late sub and bagged a double as the then holders whipped Wolverhampton Wanderers 6-0 at the New Bucks Head Stadium in Shropshire.
Griffiths signed her first professional contract with Manchester United on 14 July 2025.
A student at Coleg Meirion Dwyfor’s Dolgellau campus, Griffiths was capped by Wales Under-17s and Under-19s before in March 2024 being called up to the full national team for the first time for UEFA Euro 2025 qualifying games against Croatia and Kosovo.
She was recalled to the senior team for qualifying matches in June 2024 and later qualifying play-offs against Slovakia and the Republic of Ireland, the latter resulting in Wales reaching Euro 2025 – their first-ever major tournament.
In total, Griffiths was named as a substitute four times during the qualification campaign but did not make her debut.
However, on 21 February 2025, she did make her first senior appearance for Cymru, coming on as a substitute in a 1–0 defeat to Italy in the 2025 UEFA Women’s Nations League.
Her first international goal arrived on 25 October in a 2–1 loss to Australia. Griffiths has won four senior caps to date and is very much a part of manager Rhian Wilkinson’s future plans.