Pritchard’s Tribute to Davies

Welshpool-based President of the Football Association of Wales, Phil Pritchard, has paid tribute to Simon Davies, the national team’s captain who has called time on his Wales career.

Davies’s ongoing fight with injury has forced his arm to choose club over country in order to extend his playing career and has decided to give youth its chance despite only being 30.

And while many Welsh fans have reacted with disappointment at seeing another big name still playing top level football retire under manager John Toshack’s reign, Pritchard has come out in praise for the 51-cap Fulham star.

“I know Simon well and he is a lovely lad,” said Pritchard. “He has struggled with injuries over the last couple of years and I am sure that he has taken this decision with the team in mind. He probably feels that by continually missing games due to injury he was probably an unsettling influence on the squad. I have a lot of respect for the lad and wish him well for the rest of his career.”

Davies joins the likes of Robbie Savage, Ryan Giggs, Carl Robinson, Carl Fletcher, Jason Koumas and Gary Speed in deciding to quit under Toshack while carrying on playing top level club football.

He was named in the Wales squad to meet Luxemburg in a fiendly at Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli on Wednesday, but will now not take part. Haverfordwest-born Davies scored six goals after making his debut against Ukraine in June 2001. His final appearance came against Sweden in a friendly match in Swansea last March.