Post by gw on May 30, 2007 9:44:17 GMT -1
Wales captain Ryan Giggs will announce his retirement from international football on Wednesday afternoon.
Giggs has won more English league titles than any other player but his decision means he will never play at a major international tournament.
And it deprives Wales of one of the greatest players in their history.
The Manchester United winger, 33, will play for his country for the last time in Saturday's Euro 2008 qualifier against the Czech Republic in Cardiff.
Giggs, who will end his career with 64 caps, is thought to have made his decision after March's loss to the Republic of Ireland all but ended Wales's chances of making the Euro 2008 finals.
Wales officials were made aware of Giggs' feelings last week when they assembled for the friendly against New Zealand in Wrexham, which finished in a 2-2 draw.
With the squad meeting on Tuesday night at their Cardiff hotel for the Czech match, the players are now aware of Giggs's decision.
It is a shattering blow for Wales, Giggs who is without doubt the country's greatest player of the modern era - and it will hit boss John Toshack's plans hard.
Toshack has always said that he is primarily aiming for a serious qualification bid for the next World Cup in South Africa.
Giggs will be approaching 36 by then, but Toshack would have wanted the Manchester United player around for his immense experience and the quality of his leadership.
However, an FA of Wales source said: "Maybe Ryan has come to accept that the chances of qualification for Euro 2008 are all but gone.
"It is a great shame, he has been an outstanding servant to Welsh football and since being made captain under John Toshack, he has been a major influence on the young players."
Like so many other top Welsh players in the past, he will now accept that he will never play in a major finals.
The last time Wales took part in such an event was the Sweden World Cup of 1958.
Since then world-class players such as Ian Rush, Neville Southall, Mark Hughes, Dean Saunders, Kevin Ratcliffe and even Toshack himself have been forced to accept the limitations that Wales play under.
Giggs made his Wales debut against Germany in October 1991 at 17 years and 321 days old, and at the time he was the youngest-ever Wales international.
His Wales career was blighted by regular withdrawals in his younger days, with club boss Sir Alex Ferguson often citing the hamstring trouble that Giggs has suffered from.
It was not until Toshack's reign, which started three years ago, that Giggs even played in an away friendly for his country.
But when former boss Hughes quit to manage Blackburn soon after the heartbreak of losing a play-off to reach the last European Championships, Giggs was one of the few senior players who opted to stay on.
Giggs accepted the captain's armband and has aided Toshack's attempts to bring in a succession of new, young players.
But after winning his ninth league title - an individual record - it is this succession of new young faces that may have affected Giggs' thinking.
He can see that Wales will not qualify from this current group and by the time South Africa comes around he could well consider himself too old.
Giggs has been nursed through many seasons to overcome his hamstring injuries and his decision to quit internationals will help to prolong his Manchester United career.
Bollox
Giggs has won more English league titles than any other player but his decision means he will never play at a major international tournament.
And it deprives Wales of one of the greatest players in their history.
The Manchester United winger, 33, will play for his country for the last time in Saturday's Euro 2008 qualifier against the Czech Republic in Cardiff.
Giggs, who will end his career with 64 caps, is thought to have made his decision after March's loss to the Republic of Ireland all but ended Wales's chances of making the Euro 2008 finals.
Wales officials were made aware of Giggs' feelings last week when they assembled for the friendly against New Zealand in Wrexham, which finished in a 2-2 draw.
With the squad meeting on Tuesday night at their Cardiff hotel for the Czech match, the players are now aware of Giggs's decision.
It is a shattering blow for Wales, Giggs who is without doubt the country's greatest player of the modern era - and it will hit boss John Toshack's plans hard.
Toshack has always said that he is primarily aiming for a serious qualification bid for the next World Cup in South Africa.
Giggs will be approaching 36 by then, but Toshack would have wanted the Manchester United player around for his immense experience and the quality of his leadership.
However, an FA of Wales source said: "Maybe Ryan has come to accept that the chances of qualification for Euro 2008 are all but gone.
"It is a great shame, he has been an outstanding servant to Welsh football and since being made captain under John Toshack, he has been a major influence on the young players."
Like so many other top Welsh players in the past, he will now accept that he will never play in a major finals.
The last time Wales took part in such an event was the Sweden World Cup of 1958.
Since then world-class players such as Ian Rush, Neville Southall, Mark Hughes, Dean Saunders, Kevin Ratcliffe and even Toshack himself have been forced to accept the limitations that Wales play under.
Giggs made his Wales debut against Germany in October 1991 at 17 years and 321 days old, and at the time he was the youngest-ever Wales international.
His Wales career was blighted by regular withdrawals in his younger days, with club boss Sir Alex Ferguson often citing the hamstring trouble that Giggs has suffered from.
It was not until Toshack's reign, which started three years ago, that Giggs even played in an away friendly for his country.
But when former boss Hughes quit to manage Blackburn soon after the heartbreak of losing a play-off to reach the last European Championships, Giggs was one of the few senior players who opted to stay on.
Giggs accepted the captain's armband and has aided Toshack's attempts to bring in a succession of new, young players.
But after winning his ninth league title - an individual record - it is this succession of new young faces that may have affected Giggs' thinking.
He can see that Wales will not qualify from this current group and by the time South Africa comes around he could well consider himself too old.
Giggs has been nursed through many seasons to overcome his hamstring injuries and his decision to quit internationals will help to prolong his Manchester United career.
Bollox
