‘ROB’S EXPERIENCE MEANT WE TOOK IN EVERY SINGLE WORD’
FORMER Port Vale defender Joe Davis has been following Wales’ progress under Rob Page with interest having been coached by Page at Vale Park. Joe tells us about the ability and character of the manager.
THE melodic sounds of the infamous ‘Yma o Hyd’ chorus poured into the Qatar streets on Monday evening, after Wales fought back to earn a valuable point against USA in their opening game of the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
Over the past three years, Yma o Hyd - a folk song about the unlikely resilience of the Welsh culture and language - has been transformed from an unknown tune into an anthem for national inspiration within the Cymru dressing room.
The song, bellowed by the ‘Red Wall’ fanbase, could be heard amongst the celebrations of their neighbours England, who had plenty to smile about after Gareth Southgate’s men set the standard in Group B with a 6-2 demolition of Iran earlier that day.
The Dragons’ poster boy Gareth Bale, below, grabbed the headlines after his penalty made it one apiece with eight minutes of normal time remaining, but it was the introduction of striker Kieffer Moore at the interval that sparked some life into the lacklustre Dragons - not forgetting Ethan Ampadu, either, who worked his socks off in the middle of the park.
The back five, galvanised by 3,000 red-clad Welshmen and women, overcame a shaky start to extinguish every American attack that came their way in the second-half, which included 10 excruciating minutes of stoppage time.
It has taken 64 years for the Welsh to return to the World Cup stage in Qatar, the longest gap for any nation between successive appearances, but spoiling parties has become somewhat of a tradition in recent times, and so it is no surprise that under Rob Page’s guidance Wales refused to lie down when trailing.
Page, usually a calm and measured character, was a livewire in the technical area, visibly urging his team on and applauding every tackle.
He has a knack of getting his players to dig deep when things get tough – an influence I can vouch for having experienced it first-hand.
When Page first walked into the dressing room at Port Vale in July 2011 and introduced himself as the new youth-team coach, he carried with him an infectious aura of confidence despite his inexperience. I was 16 at the time, and eager to earn a professional contract at the end of my two-year apprenticeship.
It was his first non-playing role after calling time on a career that spanned 18 years and saw him play for the likes of Watford, Sheffield United and Coventry. It was his former Sky Blues boss Micky Adams that persuaded him to join the League Two club.
“When Rob speaks, particularly to young players, he knows what he’s talking about because he’s been there,” Adams said of the decision.
Over a prolonged period of time, an acceptance for mediocrity had seeped into the cracks of the Academy at Vale Park and the pathway that once saw England international Anthony Gardner and Egypt midfielder Sam Morsy progress into the first team had become stagnated.
However, initiated by the Welshman, standards were raised, and with that, opportunities started to open up for youngsters like myself.
‘Pagey’, as we called him, was the ultimate professional - a trait that he displayed on the pitch during his playing days and one that he expected to see in the players he coached.
“It’s all about setting standards,” he would often tell us. “How you conduct yourself in training and away from the pitch will determine what you do on it. You can’t just flick a switch on. You will have bad days on the ball, but maximum effort and attitude are nonnegotiables.”
We sat upright when he walked in, tucked our shirts in when we played and absorbed every word that he spoke. Eventually, we got better and started competing at the top end of the Midland Youth Alliance table rather than the bottom.
It wasn’t long before Adams promoted him to first-team coach. It was at this time that I also started being thrown into the first team fold. The many feelings of discomfort I felt as a 17-year-old navigating the realms of the pro game, he calmed, and in the situations that I didn’t yet have the social intelligence to deal with, he advised on.
His helping hand extended well beyond me, too. Never had a 21st Century Port Vale team played with as much discipline and spirit than what they did in his first season as coach – ingredients that helped us gain promotion to League One in 2012/13.
Page’s willingness to start at the bottom, do the hard yards and form his identity as a coach before moving into senior football says a lot about who he is.
It is a gruelling process that many ex-footballers try to eschew and instead lean on friends to be fasttracked into first-team positions. It was, after all, costing him almost as much in petrol to commute from Sheffield to Burslem as he was getting in his pay packet every month.
His journey to World Cup boss hasn’t all been sunshine and roses. After working his way up through the ranks at Vale Park, he was announced as Adams’ successor in October 2014. A rocky relationship with the former chairman Norman Smurthwaite culminated in a pitch-side disagreement after a defeat to Exeter in the FA Cup, and in the summer of 2016 he moved on to Northampton.
A difficult nine months ensued at Northampton and he was eventually sacked with the club on the periphery of the League One drop zone.
A role with Wales Under-21s followed, and you could argue that it was only here that he began to find his feet.
Ostensibly excited by what Page could bring to the table, Wales’ then head coach Ryan Giggs swiftly moved him up to work alongside him as assistant manager, before Giggs’ abrupt suspension in November 2020 presented him with the chance to step in as interim head coach.
Page’s introduction of a more adventurous playing philosophy initiated an upturn in results and a boost in morale, evidenced by the team’s impressive performances at both Euro 2020 and this year’s World Cup qualification campaign.
“The spirit and togetherness we have is part of the reason for our success. We are a tightly-knit team, and that is evident in the way we play.” Aaron Ramsey said ahead of the USA clash.
Aside from his ability to generate a feel-good factor, what truly qualifies Page as the ideal man to lead Cymru at their first World Cup since 1958, is his pride for his homeland.
A Welshman through and through, raised in a mining community in the Rhondda Valley, the 48-year-old played 41 times for his country, and is a relatable figure for fans.
If there was a checklist based on stereotypes, every box would be blank. He has two modest third-tier English football teams amongst his CV and falls a few letters short of qualifying for the he-sounds-like-amanager club.
But if there is one man capable of squeezing every ounce of talent, energy and potential out of the Wales dressing room, it is Rob Page.