Wales boss Chris Coleman gutted football-loving dad couldn't see Euros ecstasy
CHRIS COLEMAN leads Wales into the biggest match in their 140-year international history with just one regret: that his father Paddy could not be here to see it.
Chris Coleman's Wales side will face either Poland or Portugal if they beat Belgium
Coleman’s father passed away two years ago at the age of 74, before Wales embarked on the historic qualification campaign which got them to France.
Up to that point, Coleman’s time in the role had been dominated by the difficulties of dealing with the aftermath of Gary Speed’s death.
Their 2014 World Cup campaign never got going and Coleman’s position appeared under threat before the Football Association of Wales eventually gave him a new deal through to Euro 2016.
Since then, the rise has been incredible and they stand just 180 minutes from an appearance in the final of the tournament.
It is a moment Coleman will relish, and one he knows his father would have loved to experience.
“At some moments it has been real, real tough. Some of the other moments have been the best.
“In management, if you want to get better and work hard at it and you are lucky enough to stay in, then you will get better. If you want to stay in it just to kick about you won’t get better. You actually get worse.
“For a period for me, I was getting worse. When I decided to do anything I could to make myself better, and I had to make some serious choices, which I did, it made me better.
“I still have a lot to get better at, but I am much better than I was.”
No doubt wherever Paddy Coleman is watching from, he will be proud as punch.
Euro 2016 weather - Wales v Belgium
Wales:
Hennessey (Crystal Palace)- £2.7m
Chester (West Brom)- £8.5m
Ashley Williams (Swansea City)- £450k
Davies (Tottenham Hotspur)- £9.5m
Gunter (Reading)- £2.25m
Allen (Liverpool)- £14.25m
Ledley (Crystal Palace)- £2.6m
Taylor (Swansea City)- Free
Ramsey (Arsenal)- £4.8m
Bale (Real Madrid)- £75.75m
Vokes (Burnley)- £475k
King (Leicester City)- £0, through youth ranks.
Robson-Kanu (Reading)- £0, through youth ranks
Fon Williams (Inverness CT)- Free
Edwards (Wolverhampton Wanderers)- £750k
Richards (Fulham)- £530k
Cotterill (Birmingham City)- Free
Collins (West Ham United)- £2.4m
Jonathan Williams (Crystal Palace)- £0, through youth ranks
Ward (Liverpool)- £94k
Vaughan (Nottingham Forest)- Free
Church (Milton Keynes Dons)- Free
TOTAL= £125,049,000
Belgium:
Courtois (Chelsea)- £6.7m
Meunier (Club Brugge)- £150k
Alderweireld (Tottenham Hotspur)- £12m
Vermaelen (Barcelona)- £14.25m
Vertonghen (Tottenham Hotspur)- £9.4m
Nainggolan (AS Roma)- £11.25m
Witsel (Zenit St. Petersburg)- £30m
Mertens (SSC Napoli)- £7.1m
De Bruyne (Manchester City)- £55.5m
Hazard (Chelsea)- £30m
Lukaku (Everton)- £26.5m
Fellaini (Manchester United)- £24.3m
Carrasco (Atletico Madrid)- £12.95m
Mignolet (Liverpool)- £7.95m
Gillet (Catania)- £150k
Denayer (Manchester City)- £205k
Origi (Liverpool)- £9.5m
Benteke (Liverpool)- £34.9m
Batshuayi (Marseille)- £4.5m
TOTAL= £297,305,000