Ramsey defends Wales stance

The Arsenal midfielder, who skippered his country under Speed, recently expressed his disappointment at the fact that the players had not been consulted in the search for a new boss.

Speed's tragic death at the end of November shocked Welsh football and the wider sporting community, with Wales having taken giant strides forward under his tutelage.

Ramsey believes the Football Association of Wales (FAW) should have spoken to the senior players who played under Speed about the best way to build on the foundations he put down and how to preserve his legacy.

The 21-year-old has been criticised in some quarters for speaking out of line, with it suggested that he was badly advised.

Ramsey, though, claims he was speaking from the heart and says he offered his opinion with the 'best intentions'.

Beliefs

In a series of tweets posted on his official Twitter page, he said: "Firstly I would like to clarify my point. I used the word disappointed for a reason. We have just lost our manager and leader through a tragedy and not footballing reasons.

"For that reason I would have thought they would have contacted the players to hear what we thought would be the best way forward to continue our recent success on the pitch, in which we have been building for the world cup qualifiers for the last 11 months with a clear view.

"With regards to being badly advised in my comments I am a grown man and captain of my country, to which I care deeply about the future of Welsh football. I wasn't advised by anyone and nor would I need to be.

"I gave an honest answer to a specific question and everything I said was done with my best intentions, hence the fact I am willing to stand behind my beliefs and not leave my comments nameless."

Wales had won four of their last five games under Speed's stewardship, and their next fixture is a memorial match in his honour versus Costa Rica, against who Speed won the first of his 85 caps, at the end of February.

The FAW has appointed a six-man panel, led by president Phil Pritchard, to spearhead the hunt for the next manager.