GUNTER: WE WANTED COLEMAN TO STAY ON
WALES DEFENDER DENIES THAT PLAYER-POWER TRIED TO STOP BOSS JOINING SUNDERLAND
Chris Gunter has denied that player-power tried to keep Ryan Giggs’ predecessor Chris Coleman as Wales manager.
Wales’ new era under Giggs starts tomorrow as the Dragons kick off the China Cup against the hosts in Nanning.
It is the first time the Wales squad has been together since Coleman – who guided the country to the semi-finals of Euro 2016 – surprisingly chose to end his six-year stay as nationalteam boss in November to take over at Sunderland.
The Black Cats are bottom of the Championship, but Coleman has repeatedly stressed he has no regrets over leaving Wales.
Gunter was among a group of senior players who reportedly lobbied Coleman to remain in charge of the national team before he agreed to take over at Sunderland, but Gunter said: “It was made out that there was a group of players who were knocking his hotel door and begging him to stay.
“It wasn’t quite like that because players don’t really have an influence on what happens above.
“Certainly this group of players wouldn’t think just because we’ve done well in the past we deserve the right to make decisions like that.
“I know that’s been said in the past about this group of players, but it’s not the case.
“Everybody wanted the manager to stay and, as footballers, you buy into what’s happening at the time.
“We wanted the manager to stay, because he was a massive part of Welsh history and everybody loved playing under him. But. in this case. I think we were the last to know what was going on.”
Gunter is now looking forward to working under Giggs, a team-mate at the start of his Wales career.
The Reading defender, 28, is set to win his 86th cap against China and set a new Wales record for an outfield player, eclipsing the mark of Gary Speed. “It would be quite special to me because of that, and who I would move above,” Gunter said.
“Getting this far is not something that you think about when you are playing.
“But I’m absolutely honoured to get to that number and to say I’ve represented my country that many times.
“The journey along the way has given me some of the best days of my life.”
Spurs defender Ben Davies feels exciting times are ahead with Wales as Giggs settles into the role.
“It is exciting to work under someone who has had such a good career and hopefully he can translate that into management,” he said.
“To have someone who had the winning mentality, as he has, it is great that he can push that on to us as well. If we are going into playing games, we have to win them, starting with the China Cup.”