The kittens were born just hours before Wales’ devastating 2-0 loss against Iran after their mum Artemisia was found living as a pregnant stray in Liverpool.

Cats Protection’s Wrexham Adoption Centre Manager Suzan Kennedy said: “We are all so proud of our national team making it all the way to the World Cup, so when the kittens were born, we knew we had to give them names to honour them.

“Although the loss against Iran was not the result we wanted, we’re still super proud to see Wales on the world stage, and maybe the kittens will bring us good luck with the match against England next week.”

Having been born in the early hours of Friday morning, the kittens are still too young for staff to determine their gender. That will need to wait until they are two weeks old, and they will then remain at the centre until they’re old enough to be rehomed.

Cats Protection, the UK's leading feline welfare charity, has helped an average of 166,000 cats and kittens a year over the last five years through its national network which includes around 210 volunteer-run branches and 34 centres.