Colwill snatches 98th-minute equaliser against Wrexham to claim inaugural EFL Goal Hero award

Rubin Colwill has been named the inaugural winner of the EFL’s new Goal Hero of the Month award after his 98th-minute free-kick earned Cardiff City a 1-1 draw against Wrexham at Cardiff City Stadium in their all-Welsh Championship meeting.

With Cardiff trailing to Kieffer Moore’s opener and the clock deep into stoppage time, the 24-year-old midfielder stepped up and drove the ball into Anthony Patterson’s top-left corner to spark scenes of celebration in the stands. The strike was chosen by an expert panel as the most memorable goal of the month, a new monthly accolade that recognises goals with a compelling story behind them.

“It was an unbelievable feeling, a great moment for all the fans in the stadium, for the boys, for the team,” Colwill said. “It was one of those things that you just wait for in your career.”

The moment carried particular weight given Colwill’s lifelong connection to the club. Born in Neath, he has been part of Cardiff’s academy since the age of eight and now plays alongside his younger brother Joel, who has also broken into the first team.

“We’ve grown up together, trained every day together, spent loads of time together, and we both feel really, really grateful that we get to carry on playing together,” Colwill said. “This is my club — I’ve come through here the whole time, supported the club since I was a kid, so it’s a dream come true.”

Colwill described the mental process behind the set-piece, explaining that composure was key once the referee pointed to the spot. “Once I knew it was a free kick, it was about getting myself in the right mental frame, right headspace to perform the right action, and to just calm myself down and be decisive for what I wanted to do. Thankfully I executed.”

The midfielder has earned ten caps for Wales, including appearances at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, though he missed manager Craig Bellamy’s most recent squad selection through injury. His brother Joel, 21, has made two senior international appearances for the Red Dragons.

Colwill was a key figure in Cardiff’s promotion back to the Championship last season, when the club finished second in League One, and the equaliser against Wrexham underlined his importance as they look to consolidate at the higher level.