WORLD CUP QUALIFIER: Wales v Germany
Venue:
Millennium Stadium
Date:
Wednesday, 1 April
Kick-off:
1945 BST
Coverage:
Full commentary on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra and online, live text commentary on BBC Sport website & mobiles and live on Sky Sports 1
 Ramsey's first Arsenal goal was at Fenerbahce in the Champions League
|
John Toshack is ready to unleash Wales wonderkid Aaron Ramsey against Germany in a desperate bid to revive his fading 2010 World Cup qualification hopes.
The Arsenal teenager is set to make his full competitive debut on Wednesday in the most highly-anticipated Wales bow since Ryan Giggs' first game in 1991.
Ramsey has been wrapped in cotton wool by Toshack but Wales' boss has nothing to lose after their weekend defeat.
"I believe I will be ready when my time comes," said 18-year-old Ramsey.
The £5m teenage sensation will win his fourth cap but first qualifying start against the mighty Germans now Wales have all but conceded defeat in their bid to qualify for next year's World Cup in South Africa.
Ramsey is the much-hyped creative saviour of Welsh football and could replace Fulham midfielder Simon Davies, who has an ankle knock, or Jason Koumas in the Wales team following Saturday's dismal 2-0 defeat to Finland in Cardiff.
There is much expectation on Ramsey, hailed the new golden boy of Welsh football, and Wales' assistant Dean Saunders has already said he must 'live up to hype' following his multi-million pound high-profile summer move to Arsenal from Cardiff City.
 |
 It does not concern me what is written and said about me...I am aware of what the Wales fans want from me, but I do not think or worry about that.
Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey
|
Toshack, Wales' experienced former Real Madrid boss, has been reluctant to throw Ramsey in at the international deep end thus far.
But with coach and captain Craig Bellamy insisting qualification is over, Ramsey can start his Wales career with no immediate pressure to perform.
There will be, however, a level of expectancy on the Arsenal midfielder to show what all of the fuss is about and why Wales' youth guru Brian Flynn once hailed him as a 'Rolls Royce of a footballer.'
The Caerphilly-born rookie has still not started a Premier League game for Arsenal and he will line up against vastly experienced Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack, who is set to win his 93rd German cap in Cardiff.
So bearing that in mind, such anticipation surrounding Ramsey's first Wales competitive start is perhaps a little much.
But Ramsey maintains: "It does not concern me what is written and said about me, or anything like that.
"I am aware of what the Wales fans want from me, but I do not think or worry about that.
|
606: DEBATE
richie4eva1
|
"I'm only interested in working hard to improve my game. All I can do is the best I can when I do get selected.
"We all have to earn the right to be given a chance, we all have to impress the manager and show we are ready.
"But you have to take the opportunities when you are given them, I will have to grab the chance when it comes. I'm just trying to impress on the manager that he should pick me.
"We have to put behind us everything that happened on Saturday against Finland and concentrate on getting it right from now on, starting against Germany.
"I have not actually been told I am playing yet, I am just trying hard to impress the manager in training."
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has given Ramsey the taste of big time football with Champions League cameos in his 20 games for the European giants this season - 11 of those as a substitute.
And Toshack hopes his introduction from the start at the Millennium Stadium on Wednesday will give Wales fans real hope that Welsh football has a bright future despite their failure to qualify for another major final.
"I still believe things are looking up for Welsh football, despite the weekend result," said Ramsey, who along with Gareth Bale, Jack Collison and Ched Evans are Wales' bright young things.
|
Working with someone like Cesc Fabregas every day is a great help, he is the best midfield player I have ever faced.
Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey
|
"There is a good batch of young players coming through now, and hopefully we can continue to improve.
"John Toshack and Brian Flynn have done a good job bringing through so many youngsters, there is plenty of promise for the future.
"We do need to kick on now in the qualifiers, we need a lot of points if we are to qualify.
"But I am confident. Working with world-class players every day at Arsenal is certainly preparing me for this next step up.
"I have learned a lot from the top players there, and that is a good thing when I come away with Wales.
"I have played in Premier League and Champions League games now for Arsenal and that can only stand me in good stead for the future.
"Arsene Wenger does show an interest in what I do with Wales, he always asked me how it went when I get back to my club after international matches.
"And he is a great person to have around for me to learn from. He has such a great reputation of bringing on young players at Arsenal, I am only going to improve as a player.
"Working with someone like Cesc Fabregas every day is a great help, he is the best midfield player I have ever faced."
Wales' squad to face Germany on 1 April:
Wayne Hennessey (Wolves), Boaz Myhill (Hull), Lewis Price (Derby County), Gareth Bale (Tottenham), James Collins (West Ham), Chris Gunter (Nottingham Forest), Lewin Nyatanga (Derby), Sam Ricketts (Hull), Ashley Williams (Swansea), Simon Davies (Fulham), David Edwards (Wolves), Carl Fletcher (Plymouth), Owain Tudur Jones (Swindon), Jason Koumas (Wigan), Joe Ledley (Cardiff), Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal), Carl Robinson (Toronto), Craig Bellamy (Manchester City), David Cotterill (Sheffield United), Robert Earnshaw (Nottingham Forest), Ched Evans (Manchester City), Sam Vokes (Wolves).
Germany's squad to face Wales:
Robert Enke (Hannover), Tim Wiese (Werder Bremen), Andreas Beck (Hoffenheim), Andreas Hinkel (Celtic), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen), Marcel Schäfer (Wolfsburg), Serdar Tasci (Stuttgart), Heiko Westermann (FC Schalke), Michael Ballack (Chelsea), Thomas Hitzlsperger (Stuttgart), Marcell Jansen (Hamburg), Marko Marin (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Simon Rolfes (Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Piotr Trochowski (Hamburg), Mario Gomez (Stuttgart), Patrick Helmes (Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Stefan Kießling (Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Lukas Podolski (Bayern Munich)
No comments:
Post a Comment