Time to toast a success
CHRIS COLEMAN has revealed Wales’ Euro 2016 defeat to England drove him to drink. And he has urged his players not to repeat the same mistakes tonight that forced him to break Wales’ Euros booze ban. Boss Coleman was left “absolutely gutted” by Wales’ 2-1 group stage defeat to England in France and needed something strong to drown his sorrows. Coleman said: “It was a dry camp, we were together seven weeks. No alcohol. Staff or players. But I had a double Irish whiskey by myself, sneaky one. “I was devastated. Not because it was England. But we are at a tournament, it is the second game, we had a point in the bag and with four points we were going through really. But we let it slip. I was absolutely gutted. Everyone was. “It is one of the few times the players played the occasion. We went 1-0 up and then we wished our life away, rather than just enjoying those moments.” He added: “We can’t go to Ireland, sit back for 90 minutes and wish our lives away, hoping that we nick one. “When you’re up against a team that’s very similar to you, you’ve got to go on the front foot, go for it.” Wales’ qualification hopes are in the balance but Coleman is not thinking about his future while qualification is still possible but reiterated he expects this “is my last campaign.” And he is “desperate” to go out on a high by leading Wales to a first World Cup since 1958. He said: “Just because we went to France, it doesn’t mean Russia is less important. I’m desperate to do it again. “I can’t describe how it felt and I absolutely want that again.”