Rob Page’s Wales reign comes to an end after disappointing 18 months

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for free Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. But Wales’ World Cup excursion would mark the beginning of the end for Page: poor team selection, tactical mistakes and a torrid campaign that saw the Dragons finish bottom of their group with one point and one goal – a Gareth Bale penalty. Bale announced his retirement from football six weeks after the World Cup exit, and Page had to begin plotting Euro 2024 qualification without Wales’ long-time talisman. Williams said: “I am incredibly grateful for all that Rob has done in his role as Cymru men’s national team manager and I want to put on record my gratitude for taking Cymru to EURO 2020 and the FIFA World Cup.” “Rob’s passion for the country shone through in his visits to schools, clubs and communities across the breadth of Wales. “I know Rob was incredibly proud of taking the World Cup squad announcement to his hometown of Tylorstown.” Chief executive Noel Mooney – who was reportedly keen on appointing fellow Irishman Roy Keane in the autumn as Wales’ Euro campaign stuttered – expressed “heartfelt gratitude” to Page for his “commitment and dedication”.