They will be carrying the hopes and dreams of a nation on their shoulders this evening as they take on Austria in a crunch World Cup qualifier. Wales's national football team will be hoping to overcome the hurdle at Cardiff City Stadium before going on to face either Scotland or Ukraine for a place in the world's most prestigious footballing competition in the world, in Qatar.
So, with the pressure and anticipation well and truly building, one barber from Swansea has played his part to help the players at least look a cut above the rest. Imad Khalid, CEO of popular Swansea-based hairdressers, Trimology, has been to visit the squad in his mobile hairdressing van to cut their hair and make sure they are prepared and looking sharp ahead of the match.
It comes as star man Gareth Bale has said he is ready to give his all for his country just days after missing Real Madrid v Barcelona. You can read more about that by clicking here.
Read more : You can follow our live coverage of Wales V Austria here
Mr Khalid, from Brynhyfryd in Swansea, explained: "It all started with the footballers in Swansea during the lockdown. When I got my van it was more convenient for them to have their haircuts in the safest environment possible. The restrictions were still there and they were limited where they could go and what they could do, especially within the camp. It made perfect sense for them to choose me to be their barber. It went from Swansea football, to the Welsh rugby squad and the Welsh football squad.
"For them now it is a go to, because they feel comfortable with me. Yesterday and the day before I met the Wales team at the Vale so they could look fresh for their game tonight. They are very confident - they've got this! They all had positive energy and I would say they are really ready for it. Most of the boys are in good condition, especially Bale - he is not injured, thank God! It is a big game for them and I think all the lads will do an amazing job today.
"It is the least I can do giving them a haircut, but it is an honour to be with them, I feel very privileged to have them and to be a part of it. What they do is nothing compared to what I do for them but every little helps."
Mr Khalid described them as "amazing boys, very chatty and polite". He added: "I know most of the boys from the Swansea academy - Connor Roberts - he is a Swansea lad and a hell of a guy, we have banter all the time, every time he has a haircut.
"Bale is a funny character in a good way. Really, really chatty. We just talk about life - he is a normal guy to be honest, just like us. I cut his beard and back and sides, and I cut a bit of his ponytail, I made it a bit shorter. Everyone asked for the usual to be honest, I met a few new lads too.
"To me, I've been doing this for nearly 17 years so it's a piece of cake for me whatever hairstyle they need I can meet their expectation. I'm very, very happy to be part of it. I'll definitely be watching the game tonight. All we need is the win - either way I support them with all my heart." You can get more football news and other story updates by subscribing to our newsletters here.
Mr Khalid explained how purchasing the van was one of the best business moves he had ever made. The 30-year-old said: "I always wanted to actually do this as a business but when lockdown happened, it made perfect sense. I already had these types of clients, football and rugby players - and doing this is a perfect way of minimising the socialising for them as much as possible. I'm probably the safest barber out there!
"It is probably one of the best decisions I have made in my business career. It has given a lot of recognition to our business. We are growing, we've now just launched our 11th shop in Port Talbot and the brand is growing faster than ever. We are looking to expand in England and hopefully grow the Welsh brand."
Kick-off at Cardiff City Stadium is at 7:45pm. It will be shown on S4C and Sky Sports Main Event. The World Cup play-off final takes place in June.
