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The `Welsh Wizard' to end Wales career

Wales' Ryan Giggs celebrates scoring the winning goal against Northern Ireland during a World Cup qualifying match at Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Oct. 8, 2005. PHOTO: AP

Manchester United's Welsh winger Ryan Giggs confirmed his retirement from international soccer on Wednesday.

The Wales skipper -- known as the "Welsh Wizard" -- will end a 16-year career with his country by playing his 64th international tomorrow against the Czech Republic in the Euro 2008 qualifier at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

Giggs admitted that at the age of 33 he was unable to give his best for both club and country.

"It definitely helps myself, I'll get those breaks in the season, and obviously it will help Manchester United because I'll be playing less football," said Giggs, who starred for United as they won the Premiership title last season but was distinctly underpar in the FA Cup final defeat to Chelsea and was substituted in extratime.

"But it will also help Wales -- I don't feel that I've been performing as well as I could have," he said.

"Whether it was the amount of football I was playing I don't know, but I think all three parties will benefit from this," he said. "Hopefully this will not only prolong my career but allow me to be fresher and allow me to enjoy the last two or three years."

Giggs, who played for the England schoolboys but opted to play for Wales the land of his birth, regretted that he had never been able to play on the biggest international stages such as a World Cup finals or Euro championships just as another United legend George Best failed to do.

"I've had such a successful time at club level but obviously that hasn't been the case in my international career because we haven't qualified," said Giggs, who has won more league titles -- nine -- than any other player in English soccer history.

"That is something I've always wanted to do because you want to play against the best players, you want to play in the best tournaments whether it be the World Cup or European Championships," he said. "I'm disappointed not to have done that, but many players go through that and I've been fortunate to have had such a successful career so I'm not going to grumble."

Wales coach, John Toshack, who is expected to make Liverpool striker Craig Bellamy his new captain after tomorrow, wished Giggs well.

"I would like to say it has been a privilege to have him as my captain, he has always set a terrific example to all the young lads in the squad," Toshack said. "We shall certainly miss him. I think we are talking about a very special person here, 16 years on the international scene under quite a bit of pressure when he plays for Wales -- probably more than when he does for his club."
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