Matty Jones has stepped down from his position overseeing Wales Under-21s following a qualification cycle that yielded just two victories from eight fixtures, with 28 goals shipped across those matches.
The 46-year-old former Wales international player is departing despite possessing a contractual commitment extending to 2028.
The outgoing manager described the opportunity as the greatest privilege of his professional life while acknowledging the pain of the subsequent outcome.
Jones assumed the Under-21 post in September 2022, having previously overseen Wales Under-18s.
His tenure encompassed two attempts to reach the Under-21 European Championship finals.
During the initial qualifying attempt, Wales fell just short of securing a play-off berth after the conclusion of the final group stage matches, losing out to the Czech Republic on their head-to-head record.
The subsequent qualification effort presented substantially greater obstacles, leaving Wales still awaiting their inaugural appearance at a Under-21 European finals tournament.
The Football Association of Wales acknowledged Jones’s contribution by emphasising the volume of players who advanced from his youth setup into the senior national team setup.
Those individuals included Lewis Koumas, Dylan Lawlor, Charlie Savage, Cameron Congreve, Charlie Crew, Kai Andrews, Joe Low, Joel Colwill and Cian Ashford.
The governing body’s official communication noted that while Jones was unable to guide Cymru to a first Under-21 finals appearance across his two qualification campaigns, the development pathway he created could be demonstrated through the players who earned senior international recognition during his leadership.
The association further expressed appreciation for Jones’s dedication to the Cymru national team structure and extended best wishes for his subsequent endeavours.
Jones accumulated 13 senior caps for Wales during his playing career, which featured periods at both Leeds United and Leicester City.