PLEASE DON’T GO, BOSS
Bale leads players’ appeal for Coleman to stay on and lead the Welsh to glory
GARETH BALE and fellow Wales stars are begging Chris Coleman to stay on as manager.
A 1-0 defeat by the Republic Of Ireland in their final qualifier on Monday ended Welsh hopes of reaching Russia 2018.
The nation’s wait for a first World Cup since 1958 continues after they failed to build on their Euro 2016 semi-final heroics.
Boss Coleman admitted he was “devastated” by the outcome and was left to rue the absence of the crocked Bale, sitting in the stands.
Coleman, in charge since 2012 following the death of Gary Speed, will be out of contract after Wales play a friendly next month.
But the players, including Real Madrid star Bale, have urged him to stay. Bale said: “What he has done for the team and Welsh football has been amazing.
“He couldn’t have taken on the job at a more difficult time yet what we’ve collectively achieved since then has been incredible. We don’t want to keep on looking back at the Euros but for everyone it was wonderful to be a part of that and we all want that again.”
Coleman (right) earns £400,000 a year, getting a new double-your-money deal from the Welsh FA following qualification for the Euros.
He has said that this campaign would be his last with his country but Wales player of the year Chris Gunter hopes the FAW will dig deep to tempt him to stay on.
Reading defender Gunter said: “If the powers that be can give him a really good contract and make him stay he can carry on being the greatest Welsh manager of all time.” Though Wales have some exciting talent, like Liverpool’s Ben Woodburn, coming through, others are nearing the end of their international careers. Midfielder David Edwards, of Reading, said: “A lot of the boys have got to do a lot of thinking because there are a few of us the wrong side of 30. “It would have been nice for a few of the boys to have a good World Cup and then that could have been it. But there’s unfinished business.”