Landmark for Speed

Last updated : 05 September 2003 By Martyn Elliott

The game against Italy in Milan will be Gary Speed’s 75th international cap, equalling the record for a Welsh outfield player, and leaving him 17 games short of Neville Southall’s all time record.

Speed will again captain the Wales side as they attempt to pull off one of the biggest shocks in international football history, but typically he is not worried about records only the result.

“Since they (Italy) lost in Cardiff to us they have not been beaten and have just won in Germany, so we are under no illusions as to what a great team they are,” he said.

“They are fantastic players and a fantastic team, but on our day so are we.

“You cannot tear your hair out about how famous they are, we have to concentrate on our own game and performing to our maximum.

“If they beat us they go above us, but we will be trying our hardest to stop that happening.

“We will not be effected by pressure, we have handled it okay so far in this group - and that includes the younger, less-experienced lads.

“We do not want to think about defeat, we still have three games left in the group and we want to get as many points as possible.”

To put Speed’s achievement in context a player who had made their England debut in May 1990 and stayed in the team would have played in six major finals and all the warm-up games winning, at a conservative estimate, 110 caps.