Wales ready for the ‘game of our lives’

AS Wales players tried to avoid causing too many divots during their walkabout on the patchwork pitch at Lille’s Stade Pierre-Mauroy last night, a few of them held video calls with loved ones.

Neil Taylor pulled faces at his young children, Ashley Williams circled with the camera on his phone to show the venue that will stage the most significant game in Wales’ history this evening.

Before heading back down the tunnel, the whole squad united in a huge arc for a photograph. But this was not a grand farewell to France, no last act of tourists about to head home.

Chris Coleman’s side have already surpassed expectations yet there remains a hard resolve to extend this journey, to create more moments worthy of capturing through a lens.

It was slightly different last time Wales reached a quarter-final on their only other appearance at a major tournament. Monochrome pictures show their game against Brazil from the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, decided by a 17-year-old Pele.

Wales were shorn of John Charles after he sustained an injury in the previous round against Hungary through targeted tactics. Coleman touched upon that last night, revealing that Cliff Jones, the wing wizard of that era, had visited the squad before the Euros to share his memories.

Just as 58 years ago, injuries have underpinned the build-up. Ashley Williams declared himself fit after sustaining a shoulder injury against Northern Ireland, but Belgium were dealt a blow when Jan Vertonghen was ruled out after twisting his ankle yesterday morning.

Wilmots has had to call upon leftback Jordan Lukaku, the 21-year-old who has just four caps to his name, with former Celtic player Jason Denayer, also 21 and with seven caps, already in for the suspended Thomas Vermaelen at centre-half.

Vertonghen and Vermaelen have 138 caps between them — and Gareth Bale will savour the opportunity to test the inexperienced international defence in their place. Bale has already called Wales Belgium’s ‘bogey team’ based on three unbeaten matches in a row and victory from the last encounter a year ago.

Wilmots refuted that narrative. ‘They are by no means a bête noir,’ he said. ‘They are a tricky side, they scrap and have two or three players who can go anywhere and that’s dangerous.’

Coleman was perhaps irked his side have been characterised predominantly as resolute. ‘They’ll play the way they play: imagination, pace and power,’ he said. ‘But we’ll play the way we play. When it is time to defend we’ll do it for our lives, and when it is time to attack we will attack with our lives. If we do that Belgium will know they will be in for a hell of a game.’

As he did in Cardiff last June, Bale is capable of deciding this game. That would mean a semi-final date in Lyon on Wednesday... and more messages home. Coleman has been speaking to his mum and sisters back in Swansea. ‘They watch the games from behind a couch most of the time because they are so nervous,’ he said.

Unfortunately, he can’t share the experience with his father Paddy, who died two years ago, and Coleman regrets he witnessed the disaster of the failed previous campaign rather than glory of this.

‘I probably helped to put him where he is now!’ said Coleman, smiling at the memory of a 6-1 defeat to Serbia. ‘I always felt a bit guilty about it! My father loved football and would have been ecstatic at what is going on here.

‘We probably won’t really understand how lucky we are until it is all done. When we look back we will go: “Wow”.’