Senior players want Coleman to stay on

CHRIS COLEMAN has met senior players and has been urged to stay on as Wales manager despite the failure to qualify for next year’s World Cup finals in Russia.

Press Association Sport understands that Coleman met with key players - including the injured Gareth Bale - at the team hotel following their 1-0 defeat to the Republic of Ireland in Cardiff on Monday night.

The squad have given their unanimous support to Coleman and it is also understood that the Football Association of Wales are hoping Coleman extends his near six-year stay at the helm.

Coleman said in the immediate aftermath of the Ireland defeat that he would hold talks with the FAW over his future.

Those talks are set to take place in the next few weeks, ahead of a planned November home friendly which sees Mexico and the United States topping the list of potential visitors to Cardiff.

Coleman said after Wales had reached the semi-finals of Euro 2016 that the 2018 World Cup campaign would be his last in charge.

But his stance appears to have softened in the last 12 months and Coleman could be open to the idea of changing his mind and leading Wales into the Euro 2020 campaign.

The 47-year-old certainly has the backing of his players with defender Chris Gunter calling for the FAW to “give him a really good contract and make him stay”.

Gunter said: “I think everyone in Wales, fans and players, would want to see him stay on 100 per cent.”