Vokes can't dream of France just yet

Vokes, who has scored 14 goals this season – including 10 in his last 14 games – linked up with Chris Coleman’s squad for the friendly games with Northern Ireland at the Cardiff City Stadium on Thursday – starting the 1-1 draw – and Ukraine, in Kiev on Monday.

But while all eyes are on Wales’ first appearance at a major finals since 1958, Vokes is looking to take care of business for his club, in the hope that his exploits in claret and blue will reap their rewards in the summer for his country.

Vokes knows there is a job to be done before France – and a date with England – becomes a reality: “Because of what’s happening here, it’s blocked out. People say if you’re doing well at club level, you get a chance for your country, and hopefully that can get me a chance in the summer, but I’m not really thinking about that too much at the moment.

“There’s eight big games before the summer, and I’ll concentrate on a big one when we get back at Brighton. It’s a massive game, but every game will be now.”

And Vokes hopes the fresh memories of promotion two years ago will help in the run in: “There’s a lot of experience in the team, especially at this level, lads who have been promoted before, and know what it takes. That can only help us.”

Vokes’ teammates, bar Scott Arfield, away with Canada, and Danny Lafferty, with Northern Ireland, have been in Spain for some warm-weather training this week, and he smiled: “They’re going sunning it and some of us have to work hard!

“They’re going away and it’s a good trip for them to concentrate on what we’re all about, and I’ll go away and meet up with Wales.”