“We will concentrate on ourselves, nobody else and we will be ready”.
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“Our fans are just the best in the world”, said Gareth Bale as he walked off the field having repaid the travelling Welsh support with the opening goal in Saturday’s historic victory against Slovakia.
The 29-year-old suffered a back spasm and had to drop out, with Liverpool’s Danny Ward making his first worldwide start. They now top the Group after England and Russian Federation drew in the later game, and now a win against the Three Lions will ensure their passage to the knockout stages.
“We want to win the game, we want to play well and we want to do everything we did against Slovakia”.
Ledley returned to the pitch on Saturday just five weeks after suffering a broken leg playing for Palace against Stoke, coming on as a second-half sub to play a part in Wales’ winning goal against Slovakia in Bordeaux.
Now he could line up against England on Thursday, the ideal shop window for a striker without a club and available on a free transfer this summer.
“Obviously it’s my first game there for England, but I’ve played the last few months there for Man United so I’m used to that position and I think it worked well for me and the team”.
The match at the elegant Stadium Bordeaux had been billed in some quarters as a battle between Bale and Marek Hamsik, and the Slovakia playmaker was the first of the pair to catch the eye.
He added: ” Like I’ve said before there’s no other fans like the Welsh.
For those suggesting these two teams are behind England and Russian Federation in the pecking order of Group B may have egg on their face come the end of the group stage on this evidence.
“We don’t need to fear anybody”.
“You know the key if you play against him, you know his skill in the free kick and you can not make the fouls around the box and we made one”, Skrtel said.
Hodgson has reaffirmed that all the English players are “It’s where he’s from and we’re from England and we’re very proud Englishmen”. “He was basically heading the ball out of play to waste time”.
“He knew it wasn’t about Gareth Bale, it is about Wales”.
Fantastic team effort to get the result we wanted.
But Butcher believes it will be cool heads that win the game for England in Lens rather than passion.
“I have to give them a lot of credit because without them I don’t think I would be here. We could have prevented the second goal, but that’s football”.
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Slovakia had periods in the game when it was dominant, notably at the start of the match when it nearly took the lead as soon as the third minute when Marek Hamsik’s effort was cleared off the line by an excellent sliding interception from defender Ben Davies.
