Wales national team: Who could be next to take charge following Rob Page’s departure?
As Rob Page was dismissed by the national side as manager, we’re discussing who Wales fans would like to see take over and what the objectives should be for the new boss given the timely dismissal with the World Cup in 2026, on the horizon.
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00:00So, James, obviously looking at Welsh football, the national team, Rob Page, obviously you're
00:06quite closely linked with the Wales team, doing your reporting on it. Obviously been
00:11dismissed as the first-team coach. There's a lot of speculation going around who might
00:16replace him, but in terms of his time in charge of Welsh football, how does the nation reflect
00:24on him in charge? Obviously, the interim boss at the last Euros, then took him to the World
00:30Cup. Quite a disappointing display there, but still a World Cup for Wales is quite a
00:34fantastic achievement anyway. And then failure to qualify for the Euros this summer, that
00:40must have had a sort of affection on his job role. What do you take of it? And we'll get
00:47on to his best moments and most memorable moments.
00:51I think that Rob Page's whole tenure was such a rollercoaster. He joined in such a
00:58strange way after Ryan Giggs was kind of not sacked quite yet. He was kind of put to the
01:06side as manager, just as we qualified for a major tournament already in the Euros. There
01:13were some of the most memorable wins we've ever had, some of the best things that Wales
01:17ever achieved, followed by some real, we've brought back to the noughties, some of the
01:23dark days of Welsh football where we just can't do anything again. It was a strange
01:26three years. It was a fun three years. Obviously, anyone who was going to manage Wales in the
01:31last 10, 15 years was going to rely on Gareth Bale, some of the players we've had. Just
01:34could never quite get to that next level, but he was very much appreciated by Welsh
01:38football fans. He was a man of the people. You saw it when we went to the World Cup and
01:43the Welsh FA decided to do our team announcement in Tylerston, which was his hometown, a little
01:48workman's club. It was amazing, the world media almost. You had all of them, all of
01:55the major broadcasters of different sports, all in this tiny little workman's club in
01:59the Welsh Valleys. It was an amazing experience and it really showed the juxtaposition of
02:05Rob Page in charge of Wales.
02:07Wales do face the challenge now of getting the right boss to try and get there and ensure
02:12that they are at another World Cup tournament. Firstly, who's the favourites for the job
02:20and who do Wales as a country, as football fans want, to maybe be behind the wheel?
02:27Fairly true. There's a small list of people, but the two favourites are Osham Roberts and
02:31Craig Bellamy. Craig Bellamy is obviously a name that football fans around the UK would
02:35know, especially Wales fans, of course. Fantastic player for Wales for years. The Wales fans
02:41in all the group chats and all the ones who go to all the away games and everything, they
02:44know Osham Roberts. He was there in the background staff in Euro 2016. One of the best football
02:50in minds Wales has kind of had in the last few years. People in the know know Osham Roberts
02:57and that might be the person that they'd want.