Mark Hughes is backing Wales to shock England at the World Cup – especially if they use film star Michael Sheen's oratory to stoke the Dragon's fire.
The actor who portrayed Brian Clough in classic football flick The Damned United inspired a nation with his impromptu monologue on Sky's game show A League Of Their Own. And Sheen performed a stirring adaptation of his speech when he visited the Welsh squad during the international break.
Now Hughes, who won 72 caps for Wales as a player and came desperately close to leading them to Euro 2004 as manager, wants Robert Page's men to harness Sheen's call to arms and use it as inspiration to stun England at their World Cup battle of Britain in Qatar on November 29.
He said: “England? They have lost a bit of momentum since last year... if we can get Michael Sheen in the dressing room, giving his Owain Glyndwr speech, I'm sure we'll win. Everybody in Wales is engaged and energised by the World Cup – and the only negative about my job here at Bradford is that I can't go and watch it myself because League Two doesn't stop.
“But Pagey has done a fantastic job after taking the job in difficult circumstances. He took up the reins, drove the team forward and to qualify for the first time in 64 years is a terrific achievement. I got very close, both as a manager and player, to reaching a major tournament and, with respect, it was more difficult to qualify in those days – there are now more play-off places than there were in my time, but let's take no credit away from these Welsh lads.
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“It's a great group, obviously Gareth Bale is the standout player and talents of his quality only come round once in a generation. We all wish them luck, the whole of Wales is behind them and we can't wait.”
Sheen told Page and the players: "I couldn't come and see you and not give you something to go (to Qatar) with. I'll try and customise what I did before [on A League of Their Own] and give you something to take with you."
Sheen's oration contained references to Wales' last World Cup campaign in 1958, the “red wall” of Welsh support and current manager Page.
