GARY WILL BE IN OUR THOUGHTS IN QATAR
AARON Ramsey says Gary Speed will be firmly in the thoughts of the squad and coaching staff when Wales kickstart their World Cup campaign against the United States of America on Monday.
Speed played a pivotal role in the Red Dragons’ exit from the doldrums before his tragic death in 2011. Players have regularly spoken about Speed’s determination to improve the behind-the-scenes set-up at the Football Association of Wales, with significant tweaks being vital to Wales’ rise up from 117th in the Fifa world rankings.
And ahead of his country’s first World Cup appearance since 1958, Nice star Ramsey has discussed his pride at achieving the major target
Speed set the players more than a decade ago by qualifying for the Qatar showpiece.
“Gary is always in our thoughts with everything that we have done,” said the 31-year-old. “He was the one who got things moving for us. He definitely got us ready for these experiences that we have had.
“He will forever be in our thoughts and definitely again on Monday before our first game because that was one of the targets that he set when he first came in was to qualify for that World Cup.
“We didn’t manage to do so but this makes it even more special that we have actually gone on to do that now. Gary had this way about him that you would believe anything that he would say. He was a leader. He was absolutely brilliant and convinced us all. From where we were to where we got to in that short space of time was remarkable really. Anything was possible.”
Ramsey has gone on to amass 75 caps for his country since making his international bow against Denmark exactly 14 years ago. As with captain Gareth Bale, Ramsey has been plagued by injuries in recent years but has still made a significant impact for his country, despite his frequent struggles to play regularly at club level.
Indeed, the pair produced a vintage display as Rob Page’s side defeated Turkey 2-0 at Euro 2020 little more than a year ago, with Ramsey – who is sixth on Wales’ all-time list of goal scorers – netting the opener in Baku as Bale claimed a pair of assists.
And Ramsey is confident that his country’s dynamic duo still have the ability to tear up defences in Qatar. “Of course, I still feel like I am more than capable of producing performances. I never doubt my ability. For me, it’s about trying to help my team as much as I can to have a successful tournament. I’m really looking forward to it and hopefully I can be in good form and help the team get out of the group.
“We all know about Baleo. I love having that opportunity to play with him in this Wales shirt.
“We have grown up together, we’ve been through all different age groups and things like that so we understand each other and we just try to go out there and try to represent our country as best as we can.
“We try to help as much as we can individually and as a team to try and achieve our goals. It’s just a joy to play with him and be a part of this with him.”