Leeds United fans have reacted to a difficult first half for Karl Darlow after Wales suffered a disastrous start to their friendly against England.
Karl Darlow was one of three Leeds players in the Wales side that took on England at Wembley, as he lined up alongside Ethan Ampadu and Joe Rodon at Wembley Stadium.
Wales came into the game full of confidence after enjoying a strong start to life under head coach Craig Bellamy. Darlow actually enjoyed a strong first involvement in a Wales shirt, poking out a toe to divert a dangerous shot from Anthony Gordon wide for a corner.
But the wheels soon came off for Wales as England took the lead from the resulting corner, and Darlow was forced to pick the ball out of the net three times in the opening 30 minutes.
Although Darlow could do little about the three goals that he conceded, it was a nightmare start to his first appearance at the home of English football, which prompted a wave of sympathy from fans online.
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty ImagesLeeds United fans send messages of support to Karl Darlow
Posting on the social media site X (formerly Twitter), Leeds fans were quick to throw their support behind their goalkeeper after a horrible start to the game against England.
One fan questioned the role of the Wales defence in the three goals, posting: “I’m feeling a bit sorry for Darlow. Where is Wales’s defence?”
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Another fan shared their sympathy for the Welsh shotstopper on his first appearance at Wembley, stating: “Oh man. I feel sorry for Karl Darlow on his first Wembley appearance.”
Wales were wasteful in possession in the first half, and one fan joked that Darlow had touched the ball more than any of his teammates, as they said: “Karl Darlow has touched the ball more than any other Welsh player, just by picking the ball out of the net.”
One fan called for Wales to substitute the Leeds contingent, pleading: “Get Darlow, Ampadu and Rodon off, they don’t need to be bringing this negativity back to Leeds.”
This was echoed by another fan, who added: “Right games done. Rodon, Ampadu and Darlow subbed off, please.”
Wales should have played the Leeds version of Rodon, Ampadu and Darlow.
— Daniel Winter (@Dan_LUFC_Winter) October 9, 2025
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Leeds’ Wales stars endure a first half to forget
Although Darlow was the focal point for Wales, after conceding three goals in less than 30 minutes, none of Leeds’ Welsh stars stood out in a difficult half an hour.
According to the stats from FotMob, Rodon was the best of the Leeds trio, receiving a rating of 5.5, compared to 5.4 for both Ampadu and Darlow.
Things could have been even worse for Wales had Ollie Watkins not missed a chance in the dying moments of the half, before colliding with the post in a nasty collision.
Daniel Farke will be hoping that his Leeds stars can come through the second half unscathed, both physically and mentally.