Gareth Bale has also been declared fit after joining up with his team-mates in the wake of Real Madrid’s Champions League win over Atletico Madrid on Saturday.
Advertisement
The Arsenal and Wales midfielder, who’s gone blond for Euro 2016, said: “There’s no significance to it – I just fancied a change”.
But the 62-times capped midfielder joined Wales on their pre-Euros training camp in Portugal last week and was running freely in individual fitness sessions away from the main group.
Explaining the selection process, Coleman said: “It had to be individual meetings, just me and the player, and if I’m honest these weren’t conversations I was particularly looking forward to”.
“It’s a new experience, even for Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey, because we’ve not qualified as a nation in our lifetime”.
Now he is hoping to follow that up by landing Euro 2016 with Wales, who start the tournament as 80-1 chances.
Russian Federation are their other Group B opponents on June 20.
We went through a run of results where we were nearly unbeatable, but we have tailed off a bit.
“We’ve got a saying that you’re only as good as your worst game – that’s nonsense”.
They also face England in Lens on June 16 and Russian Federation in Toulouse four days later at the group stage.
“Everything’s a calculated risk but he’s worth the risk”, said manager Chris Coleman of the Crystal Palace player.
“We can’t say he is going to be ready, we don’t know that. In the last three or four years he has been fantastic for us”.
“I’m a believer that you’re as good as your best game because that’s the level that you can get to”.
Paul Dummett and Adam Matthews were omitted as Coleman opted for only seven defenders, and Emyr Huws lost out on a midfield place in a three-way battle to David Vaughan and Dave Edwards.
“It was one of the biggest targets in my career to help Wales to a major championship and I’ve finally achieved that”.
“He can do things in the position he plays that other players can’t do”.
As expected former Fleetwood and current Leicester City 2015/16 Premier League title winning striker Jamie Vardy has been named in Roy Hodgson’s 23-man England squad for Euro 2016.
Advertisement
“It’s probably when you look back you will think that is brilliant, however it goes”.
