A YOUNG football star from Bangor has the world at his feet after playing for Wales and rubbing shoulders with royalty and the Hollywood stars.

Cai Lloyd Evans, 17, who lives in Bangor and plays for the Wrexham AFC youth team, was a member of the 20-strong Wales Schools Under 18 squad who took part in the 2023 Roma Caput Mundi tournament in Italy.

Cai's mum Sandra often takes Cai to the training sessions and regularly watches him play.

"I enjoy watching football and I am so proud that he was selected to play for Wales in this tournament," she said.

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Cai, who is studying sports psychology at Coleg Menai in Llangefni, has been a member of the Wrexham Youth set up for the past seven years, travelling regularly to the Racecourse ground for training and playing games in the National League Alliance Under-19's Division H.

So far this season Cai has played six games in the League and three in cup competitions.

He has also met actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, who purchased the club two years ago.

"They came to the training ground and we were all presented to them and we shook hands. They asked us about the games we played and seemed very interested," he said.

Ryan and Rob's influence has been significant at the club and standards and expectations have been raised considerably in the past 18 months.

The two superstars were also present when King Charles III and the Queen Consort visited the club last November. The Royal couple were celebrating the city status conferred on Wrexham as part of the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022.

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"We were introduced to the King and Ryan and Rob were there and we shook hands," said Cai.

The Italy trip was the first time Cai had been abroad in his footballing career but he’s determined to add to the experience.

The centre back played in all three games played by the team during the week-long UEFA recognised tournament.

Eight international teams were split into two groups with Wales lined up with Canada, San Marino and Lazio, a team from Rome. 

He said: "It was a really good trip and a great experience."

"We were a goal up against Lazio in the first game but they equalised in the last few minutes so it was a draw at full time.

"We lost by two goals to nil against San Marino and by three goals to two against Canada.”

Cai played the full 90 minutes of the first two games and 30 minutes as a second half substitute in the third match.

The squad then went to Rome where they played their matches at the Borghesiana complex, the training headquarters of the Italian national football team.