As Wales prepare for the 2016 European Championships, it is set to be a special occasion that a number of Football League footballers will take part in.

The last time that Wales qualified for a major international tournament was the 1958 World Cup. 58 years later and Wales have qualified for a major tournament just for the second time.

Chris Coleman has been the manager that has guided Wales to the European Championship which is an achievement in itself before a ball is kicked at the tournament.

Wales were in one of the most difficult groups with Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Israel. As well as Cyprus and Andorra. Despite the difficult group, Wales finished second avoiding the playoff stages and progressing automatically.

Wales finished the group with 21 points from a possible 30 and conceded only 4 goals with only Spain, England, Romania and Ukraine having an equally impressive defensive record.

Although Gareth Bale will have the limelight and the majority of the attention, there is a number of Football League stars who could surprise and raise their stock significantly with some good performances on the international stage.

A few notable omissions are that of Tom Bradshaw and Emyr Huws who have both had excellent seasons but have failed to make the final cut to be in Wales' 23 man squad for the European Championships.

This article will look at FIVE Welsh Football League stars to look out for in France who will likely feature and could potentially star in the tournament......................

Richards is set to join Fulham
Richards is set to join Fulham

One of the unsung heroes of Wales' European Championship qualification has been Ashley 'Jazz' Richards. Although Richards is naturally a right back for his country, he has featured on the left hand side in both the left back and left midfield positions.

Although Richards has only played for Wales 9 times, he has quickly become a fan favourite among the Wales supporters and has quickly gained an international reputation.

Having featured in almost half of Wales' qualification games, Richards has shown his former club Swansea City how talented he is. Richards failed to get regular opportunities at the Welsh club and instead opted to move to the Championship side, Fulham.

Jazz Richards' stand out moment was the assist for Gareth Bale's headed goal against Cyprus. After excellent interplay down the right hand side, Richards' hung a cross at the back post for Bales to power in. The significance of the goal was that it put Wales on the brink of qualification.

Although it is unsure just how Richards will be used by Coleman, his adaptability to play on the right or the left and his athleticism may see him feature in the majority of Wales' games in France.

Chris Gunter (Reading)

Chris-Gunter

Whereas as Ashley Richards is an unsung hero, Reading's Chris Gunter will be playing a different role as one of the most experienced members of Wales' squad.

With 66 appearances, Chris Gunter has surpassed Ryan Giggs after his appearance against Northern Ireland in March, however he still has a while to go to become the first Welshman to reach 100 caps.

Chris Coleman will be expecting Gunter to be a leader on and off the field and it is expected that he will play a significant role in organising the defence alongside Ashley Williams.

Like Jazz Richards, Gunter has the flexibility to play at both right back and right midfield as well as one of the centre halves in the three at the back system. This versatility will be extremely enticing for Chris Coleman.

Of the five players featured in this article, Chris Gunter will be the most likely to start and feature in all of Wales' games in France.

David Vaughan (Nottingham Forest)

Vaughan

Another important figure in Chris Coleman's side will be Nottingham Forest's David Vaughan. The 33 year old has 41 caps for Wales and will potentially be a midfield general for the Welsh side.

Like Chris Gunter, as one of the older players in the squad, David Vaughan will be expected to be a leader on and off the field and lead by example.

With the ability to play both in the central midfield role and the deep lying play maker role, David Vaughan can provide cover for two very important positions.

With a cultured left foot and the ability to set the tone and the tempo whilst also being a creative influence from a deeper position, despite his age, Vaughan could be a starter because of his quality on the ball.

With Aaron Ramsey a dead cert to start in midfield, Vaughan is one of a number of options to play in midfield and will likely compete with Joe Allen, Joe Ledley and Andy King for a place in the starting line-up.

David Cotterill (Birmingham City)

David Cotterill

One potential surprise at the European Championship's could be Birmingham City's David Cotterill. With 28 appearances for the national side, Cotterill could be another experienced head that Chris Coleman could turn to.

Cotterill had an excellent season for Birmingham City with four goals and six assists in the Championship. If he is to feature, Coleman will be hoping that form can be replicated.

Cotterill can boast at the fact that he is only one of four Welsh players to score in Wales' successful qualification campaign.

The Welsh winger could be a useful asset to be at Coleman's disposal as a dead ball specialist and he could create a goal out of nothing and be the difference in an extremely close contest.

It is most likely going to be Hal Robson-Kanu starting in Wales games but Cotterill could be an excellent impact sub for Chris Coleman to bring off the bench.

Simon Church (MK Dons)

church

In the attacking areas, this is where Wales appears to lack strength and depth beyond the household names. An option would have been Tom Bradshaw but he withdrew from the squad with an injury.

This has provided an opportunity for Mk Don's striker, Simon Church. The 27 year old has featured 35 times for Wales scoring two goals and he will be hoping to add to the tally in France.

Church spent the second half of the season on loan at Aberdeen. The successful loan spell saw the Welsh striker score six times which suggests he will go into the tournament in good form and high on confidence.

As only one of two out and out strikers, Church is likely to feature for Wales during the tournament at some point. Although Sam Vokes is likely to start, like Cotterill, Church could be an effective impact substitute.