Hughes staying put

Mark Hughes has broken his silence and insisted he will continue as Wales manager.

And the former Manchester United star will be travelling to Frankfurt next week for the World Cup 2006 qualifying draw.

It has taken Hughes a week to make his announcement following Wales’ exit last Wednesday in the Euro 2004 play-off clash with Russia in Cardiff.

Speculation about his future increased when he failed to attend an FA of Wales international committee meeting last Friday.

Hughes has continually been linked with club jobs including Spurs, Southampton and , Blackburn, as well as the number two role at Old Trafford, but today – in a BBC Wales interview – he confirmed he will lead his country into the 2006 World Cup campaign.

Hughes said: “My situation has not changed, I am still Welsh team manager. It was so disappointing last week, everyone just needed to go away and take stock, but now we must look forward not back.

“You have to dust yourself down and go again. We have made great strides in a short space of time, we can compete at the highest level and have a lot of young players who will be better for the experience.

“I never comment on speculation because that is often all it is. Now we will regroup, come again and give the Welsh public lots more to cheer about.

“If the fans, who we must thank for their wonderful support during the campaign, can bear with us we will regroup, come again and give them lots more to cheer about in the future.”

Hughes’ first task now as he begins plotting another campaign will be to witness the World Cup draw and then arrange build-up friendlies next year.

He said: “It is important we get the right quality opposition, and after the World Cup draw we will have a better idea of the friendlies we would like to arrange.

“I would imagine there are some decent fixtures out there as teams look to build for the European Championship.”

FAW secretary general David Collins is delighted Hughes has finally spoken out to dispel doubts about his immediate future.

And he pointed out that the committee meeting last week was to have discussed plans for Portugal, so Hughes’ attendance was sadly not needed.

He said: “It was a normal committee meeting. We were planning training camps and cup competitions that we run.

“Mark, when he comes, has an input from the international side, it was regular business which sadly now does not involve Euro 2004.

“Mark Hughes’ future was not on the agenda at all. He is contracted until 2006, he is the manager. He did not have to confirm anything, it was all speculation. He is our manager.

“Mark as a player had hugely high standards, and he has set those same standards for the Welsh team since he has been manager.

“In his own eyes, he does consider not getting to Portugal after the fabulous start as a failure.

“But if you look back 18 months to where we were, and heard the draw and saw that we had Italy, Serbia as they are now, and Finland, we would have been absolutely delighted to have got to the play-offs.

“I can understand the huge disappointment of the nation. It is felt by myself and my staff, by the team, the management and our council. Not getting to Portugal is felt by us all, but we have taken a massive step forward in the last 18 months.

“Mark has continually said he wants to remain as the Welsh team manager and that is good enough for myself and the council of the FA of Wales.

“His future has never arisen with the FAW, Mark is our manager and that is what we want and that is what is going to remain until the end of 2006 and beyond.”