RAMSEY BACKED BY WALES MANAGER

Wales manager Robert Page insists Aaron Ramsey will recover from his Rangers penalty misery and has endorsed him to take a World Cup play-off final spot-kick should he be needed to.

Ramsey missed the decisive penalty on Wednesday as Rangers suffered Europa League final heartbreak to Eintracht Frankfurt in Seville.

But Page has backed Ramsey to take a spotkick against Scotland or Ukraine in Cardiff on June 5 should qualification for Qatar 2022 be decided by a shootout.

Asked if he still had faith in Ramsey, Page replied: “Absolutely, 100%.

“It happens to the best in the world. Top players, they put themselves up.

“I am so proud of him for putting himself up (to take a penalty for Rangers), he is a world-class footballer.

“He had the courage and conviction to take a penalty. Top players recover from that, no problem.

“I have no doubt whatsoever if it comes to penalties that he will take one.”

Ramsey has joined captain Gareth Bale in a 27-man squad for a hectic June programme that also includes four Nations League matches – home and away against Holland, a trip to Poland and a visit from Belgium.

Meanwhile, Gordon Smith insists Europa League heartache will now make Rangers even more determined to prevail against Hearts.

The former Ibrox striker and director of football insists defeat will ensure the players are mentally switched on.

Speaking to BBC Scotland, he said: “I felt it might be more of an effect if they won, getting them motivated to play on Saturday.

“Now they haven’t won this, I think the motivation will be there with this group of players to go and win the cup on Saturday and that will be a bigger effect now.

“I think players when they achieve something, switch off a bit, certainly winning a European trophy might have made one or two switch off.

“It might be some will be distracted with the disappointment when you lose a major game like this, it’s very hard to bounce back from that.”