Dream date with England is Speed’s chance to shine

Despite a relative lack of experience, he was still a popular choice among the Welsh supporters after enjoying a lengthy international career as a player. His departure from Bramall Lane, however, was greeted with mixed emotions.

Under Speed, the Blades had been sinking towards the Championship relegation zone.

There had been signs of a shift in emphasis – with Speed encouraging his men to play more football – but 18 games produced only six wins.

The majority of his players had been signed by another manager who also had a vastly different approach to the game. Blades supporters, meanwhile, felt no real loyalty to a man who spent eight years playing for local rivals Leeds United.

By the end, Speed’s decision to walk away saved the club from a far more difficult decision – namely whether they should pull the plug on his tenure before things got any worse.

One suspects he may also have started to grasp the full extent of the club’s problems – and the financial limitations which could have strangled the life out of his managerial career in its infancy.

There were some who criticised Speed for quitting the Blades.

Former manager Dave Bassett even questioned his ambition saying the Welsh job was ‘no bigger’ than a job at Bramall Lane. But Speed would surely have been mad to turn down the Welsh job.

Only a privileged few get the opportunity to lead their country of birth and how can one fail when that country has only qualified for one World Cup, in 1958, and never qualified for the final stages of the European Championship (although they did lose a two-legged ‘quarter-final’ to Yugoslavia in 1976 when only four nations played in the final tournament).

Pressure? What pressure? There is, however, the little matter of national pride and no one will ever accuse Speed of lacking in that department.

During a career that started at Leeds United and included big money moves to Everton and Newcastle United, Speed always turned up for international duty regardless of the opposition or the travelling involved.

He won a record 85 caps for Wales over a period of 15 years and is only second to goalkeeper Neville Southall in the country’s list of all-time appearance makers. His example is one that the current Welsh internationals need to follow if they are to play a part in a national revival.

Speed, who cites former Newcastle and England manager Bobby Robson as one of his biggest influences, has already tempted West Ham United defender Danny Gabbidon out of international retirement but failed in similar moves for Manchester United’s Ryan Giggs and Fulham’s Simon Davies.

He has spent three months assessing the players at his disposal and now, after losing to the Republic of Ireland in a friendly, has a dream date with England for his first competitive game in charge.

It will be a hugely emotional occasion for the man from Flintshire and will accentuate the meteoric nature of his rise to international management. The Millennium will be packed to its 69,000 capacity for the first time since England’s last visit six years ago and Speed will be desperate to repay the faith shown in his talent.

Victory over such great rivals as England would be the perfect start for Speed and, despite the current seven-point gap that exists between the pair in Euro 2012 Qualifying Group G, his men will be far from push-overs.

After a barren decade in terms of top talent, the Welsh are starting to see the shoots of recovery again with youngsters including Tottenham’s Gareth Bale, Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey, and Celtic’s Joe Ledley, emerging as top performers in the British game.

Others including Millwall striker Steve Morrison, Swansea City midfielder Joe Allen and Nottingham Forest defender Chris Gunter are also destined for the Premier League while Manchester City’s Craig Bellamy (currently on loan at Cardiff) is now 31 but still one of the most dangerous strikers around.

Speed’s appointment could be the spark that Welsh football needs after years of frustration. There are plenty with more experience who will also feel better qualified but sometimes in football, as in life, it is more about who you know than what you know. Speed and Wales know each other inside out.