Aaron Ramsey has been named Wales captain after retirement Gareth Bale.
The 32-year-old midfielder, who has played 78 times, will lead his country for the first time in the coming years. euro 2024 qualifying matches with Croatia and Latvia later this month.
Ramsey will lead a team of 24 young-looking guys named by boss Rob Page on Tuesday.
Page said: “Aaron was the vice-captain behind Gareth and I see that as a natural progression.
“He has a great opportunity to work with young players. It’s the right time in his career to lead the boys and he’s enjoying it.
“I spoke to Aaron. He appreciates it very much and looks forward to the role.”
Bale ended his distinguished career in January after winning a record 111 games for the Wales men’s national team.
Ramsey had done this before, being appointed captain of Wales at the age of 20 by the late Gary Speed in March 2011.
Speed’s successor, Chris Coleman, gave the armband to Ashley Williams in October 2012 to help Ramsey focus on his football.
Alongside the departure of record-breaking Bale, Chris Gunter, Joe Allen and Jonny Williams have also retired from the international arena since Wales’ disappointing World Cup campaign before Christmas, where they scored just one goal and finished their group in last place.
Page selected four absentees in his squad for his trip to World Cup semi-finalists Croatia on March 25 and his game against Latvia three days later.
Also included are midfielders Jordan James and Ollie Cooper, who are in Qatar but are not in the official World Cup squad.
Including Fulham’s young player Luke Harris and Ipswich forward Nathan Broadhead.
Tom Bradshaw is back with the Millwall jersey after being named player of the month in February’s EFL Sky Bet Championship.
The last of Bradshaw’s three matches against Wales came in March 2018 at the China Cup, but the 30-year-old earned a recall after scoring six goals in multiple matches.
David Brooks was not included after returning to the Bournemouth squad for the first time on Saturday, 529 days after being diagnosed with cancer.
Brooks, an unused substitute in Cherries’ 1-0 win over Liverpool, was diagnosed with Stage 2 Hodgkin lymphoma while on Wales duty in October 2021, but announced he was cancer-free last May.
Wales are sweating in Brennan Johnson’s condition after the Nottingham Forest striker, who was in form at Tottenham on Saturday, was injured.
Johnson, who has scored seven goals since the World Cup, will be screened for groin strain this week.
Dundee United midfielder Dylan Levitt and Leeds’ QPR loan striker Tyler Roberts are unavailable due to injuries.
Cardiff couple Rubin Colwill and Mark Harris and MK Dons midfielder Matthew Smith are also absent after being in the World Cup squad.
Wales squad: D Ward (Leicester), W Hennessey (Nottingham Forest), A Davies (Sheff Utd), C Roberts (Burnley), C Mepham (Bournemouth), J Rodon (Rennes, on loan from Tottenham), B Davies (Tottenham), T Lockyer (Luton), B Cabango (Swansea), N Williams (Nottingham Forest), W Burns (Ipswich), E Ampadu (Spezia, on loan from Chelsea), J Morrell (Portsmouth), J James (Birmingham), O Cooper (Swansea), L Harris (Fulham), S Thomas (Blackburn, on loan from Huddersfield), A Ramsey (Nice), H Wilson (Fulham), B Johnson (Nottingham Forest), D James (Fulham, on loan from Leeds) , K Moore (Bournemouth), T Bradshaw (Millwall), N Broadhead (Ipswich).