Nineteen years ago, Chris Gunter walked onto the pitch at Wrexham's Racecourse Ground as a 17-year-old, earning his first senior cap for Wales against New Zealand. Now, at 36, he's back at the same stadium—but this time with a clipboard instead of boots, guiding a new generation of footballers. Gunter is the head coach of Wales Under-19s, who will host the Uefa Under-19 Championship finals in north Wales starting this Sunday.
Some of his players weren't even born when Gunter made his senior debut in 2007. "They definitely wouldn't have been watching," he joked. Yet his legacy looms large over this young squad. "We all look up to him," said 19-year-old Crewe Alexandra defender Stan Dancey. "We've got a manager who's been there, done everything."
Gunter earned an incredible 109 caps for Wales over his career, playing for clubs like Cardiff City, Tottenham, and Nottingham Forest. He was a key member of the famous Wales squad that reached the Euro 2016 semi-finals—a summer that still resonates deeply with his current players. "That was probably one of the earliest and best memories I have of watching Wales," said Cardiff City full-back Jac Thomas, who was just nine years old in the Rhondda that summer. "I remember watching the games and then going back in the yard and replicating what the players were doing."
That 2016 team captured national imagination, beating Slovakia, Russia, Northern Ireland, and Belgium in a stunning run. Gunter himself set up Sam Vokes' goal in the famous 3-1 win over Belgium in Lille. His chin-up gesture to fans after a group loss to England became one of the most iconic images of that tournament.
Now, he's passing that wisdom to players young enough to have been his children at the time. "The advice he's given us, when he was our age, is just go out there and enjoy it and do the best you can," Dancey said. Gunter joined the Football Association of Wales after retiring from playing at the end of the 2022-23 season, taking charge of the U19s in 2024.
Wales face a tough opening match against nine-time champions Spain at the Racecourse on Sunday at 6 PM. Germany and Denmark are also in their group. "We know we're going to be playing against the best of the best, but we believe in our abilities," said Brighton player Adam Brett. "If we stick together, I'm sure we'll get what we want." For Gunter's young side, this is more than a tournament—it's a chance to create memories of their own.