Could Giggs and Bellamy return for Wales?

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Wales manager Chris Coleman has given his reaction to speculation that the Manchester United and Cardiff City men could return to the international fold

Wales manager Chris Coleman has ruled out the return of former players Ryan Giggs and Craig Bellamy for their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign.

Giggs retired from international football to prolong his club career with Manchester United in 2007, while Craig Bellamy also hung up his boots last October.

Wales have not qualified for a major tournament since reaching the European Championships back in 1976, and it was former Welsh international Mickey Thomas who had tried to kick-start a campaign to get Giggs and Bellamy back for one last crack at reaching competition finals.

Giggs, 40, and Bellamy, 34, still represent Manchester United and Cardiff City in the Premier League, and calls for their vast experience, knowledge and ever quality footballing ability have been heard by Welsh fans.

But Chris Coleman has today ruled out the chance of the Wales legends return, saying he would rather stick with the players he has at his disposal.

“We’ll concentrate on what we’ve got and that’s how we look at it,” said Coleman to Wales Online.

“I think the problem we’ve got is we’ve a habit of saying what was. We need to forget what was. We need to concentrate on what is and what’s going to be and that’s what we’ll do.

“Ryan Giggs is one of the finest players the Premier League has seen and one of the finest players Wales has produced. But that’s four or five years ago so we don’t look back, we look forward.”

Former Wales manager, the late Gary Speed tried to tempt Giggs out of retirement in 2010, but was unsuccessful.

Whilst covering a Manchester United game a few weeks ago I asked Giggs his reaction to calls that he is wanted back in the Welsh fold, to which he did not want to comment.

It is also unlikely that Craig Bellamy would consider a return, given that he deliberated about his international future for years prior to his final decision.

For Wales it looks as if they will have to try and conquer their European Qualifying group containing Bosnia, Belgium, Israel, Cyprus and Andorra without their legendary duo of Giggs and Bellamy.