Speed calls on players to ‘dig in’

GARY SPEED is calling on his Bolton colleagues to dig in when the African Cup of Nations comes around in January.

Five players - Jay-Jay Okocha, El-Hadji Diouf, Abdoulaye Faye, Khalilou Fadiga and Radhi Jaidi - are set to be involved in the tournament, which takes place in Egypt.

Welsh veteran Speed said: “It’s a big challenge and the players that are left are going to have to make some personal sacrifices.

“The manager has bought wisely and we have a strong squad at the moment, we work hard behind the scenes to make sure that stays the same.

“We are going to miss some players so it is vital for the rest of us to keep fit.

“We have to make sure the whole of January we are concentrating on and off the pitch to make sure it does not hurt us as much as it could do.”