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John Giles' all-time Wales XI | "He'd be worth £200m!"

John Giles has chosen his all-time Wales XI - and has gone for the old 3-4-3 formation! Giles spo...



Soccer

John Giles' all-time Wales XI | "He'd be worth £200m!"

John Giles has chosen his all-time Wales XI - and has gone for the old 3-4-3 formation!

Giles spoke about his favourite Dragons from over the years - so without further ado...

Neville Southall

A banner is displayed of former Everton goalkeeper Neville Southall in the stands during the Premier League match at Goodison Park, Liverpool.

Everton legend Big Nev makes it into Giles' lineup.

"He was a top-class goalkeeper and right up there with Pat Jennings.

"He was a top boy, and there were a lot of great goalkeepers at that time!"

John Charles

England goalkeeper Ray Wood involuntarily covers up - and who wouldn't with the bulk of Wales' centre forward John Charles towering over him, during a raid on the England goal in the international football match at Wembley, London.

Equally comfortable up front, the man voted Serie A's best-ever foreign import makes it into Giles' back line.

"He was one of the greats of all time. He was an even better centre-half than centre-forward but was almost too good to leave out.

"I saw him play against Jack Charlton at Leeds and he had an absolute nightmare.

"He was a big fella that played like a little fella."

It was his time at Juventus that particularly caught the eye - 155 games, 105 goals - and was 'aggressive, without being bad.'

"This was in Italy, when they marked them man tight all the time.

"If he was playing today, he'd be worth £200m!"

 

Kevin Ratcliffe

Kevin Ratcliffe, Everton.

Everton's Ratcliffe won an FA Cup, two league titles and a Cup Winners' Cup medal with the Blues, as well as togging out 59 times for Wales.

Mike England

England at home in this Wales squad, the former Spurs man won four major club trophies - the FA Cup, the UEFA Cup and League Cup twice.

"He was a very good player, and I played against him as a young man at Manchester United.

"He was the best centre-half in the First Division for five or six years when he was at Tottenham."

Gary Speed

Gary Speed, Wales

The late, great Gary Speed makes it into Giles' team, for his skill, speed and assuredness on the ball.

"Top-class players don't play 'on his day' - it's a load of rubbish.

"Gary Speed wasn't the most gifted lad in the world but would give the same effort every match he played. That is the starting point and finishing point.

"We all have bad games, but it is not for the want of trying. Good players want the ball - they'd eat the ball!

"You can't be a great player without doing your best week-in, week-out. Gary Speed would be typical of that type of attitude."

Ivor Allchurch

(L-R) Wales' Ivor Allchurch fires in a shot as Mexico's Del Muro challenges

Allchurch made an incredible 445 appearances for Swansea Town, before they became the Swansea City we recognise today. He also played for Newcastle United and Cardiff, as well as 68 appearances for Wales across 16 years from the late 1940s and 1960s.

"He was artistic, brilliant on the ball. He was a genuine midfielder with lovely control, lovely passing. He would be sensational today."

Ryan Giggs

The Prince of Wales meets Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson (left) and player Ryan Giggs at Old Trafford Football Ground today(Friday) during his visit to Manchester. It was the prince's first public engagement since the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales. Photo by John Giles.PA.

The wing wizard, and king of pulling out of friendlies, Giggs was always a shoo-in for this side, in a 3-3-4 formation.

"He was just off great, for me. He was terrific and a great servant for Manchester United.

"There were certain days when he could be world-class, and he tried his very best every time.

"But as a manager, I would love to have in the team - no doubt about that."

Gareth Bale

Wales' Gareth Bale celebrates scoring

He might not be having the best time at Real Madrid and it seems like he hasn't been there for seven years. But in that time, Bale has won four Champions League titles and a La Liga.

"He is a very talented lad that has played better for Wales than he has for Real Madrid, where he's not on the best of terms with Zidane, which happens in football.

"When you see him playing for Wales, he looks a different player."

Giles drew on his experience with Matt Busby saying that Bale 'cannot do right for doing wrong' in a similar fashion, but Bale makes it in due to his incredible talent.

Ian Rush

08-SEP-93 ... World Cup Qualifier v RCS ... Ian Rush, Wales celebrates after scoring against the RCS

One of the outstanding strikers of the 1980s and 1990s, the former Liverpool and Juventus striker helps lead the line.

"I would put him as a great. What he made of himself and what he did for the team.

"Norman Hunter played against him at Chester and he didn't think he'd make it. But Ian Rush put defenders under more pressure than anyone I have ever seen.

"This fella was scoring that amount of goals and putting those defenders under pressure.

Mark Hughes

MARK HUGHES, WALES. v SPAIN

Former Manchester United, Barcelona and Bayern Munich stiker, Hughes was an absolute must for this side.

"He was a great target man, physically strong and had enough skill to get a few goals. His attitude was always good - he could never say 'he's not having a go today.'

"Cantona took a lot of the credit [at Manchester United] but Hughes was doing a lot of the work.

"He was a player's player," Giles said of his two Players' Player of the Year.

"There were players that I played with that would prefer getting that award than Player of the Year."

Cliff Jones

Best known for his time at Tottenham, Jones made it to the 1958 World Cup.

"He was a winger; brave when wingers weren't supposed to be brave.

"This fella - talk about work rate, bravery and scoring goals. If he was playing today, he would be sensational!"

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Bale Football Gareth Bale Giggs Hughes Mark Hughes Soccer Wales