Euro 2016: Wales will fancy England in the draw, says Aaron Ramsey

The Arsenal midfielder said that the 0-0 draw against Israel showed the need for Wales to be more clinical

Aaron Ramsey, left, said the 0-0 draw with Israel showed Wales must become more clinical (Getty)

Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey has said he would welcome facing England at next summer’s European Championship if, as expected, Chris Coleman’s side secure the remaining point they require to reach the finals.

The Arsenal midfielder said that the 0-0 draw against Israel which denied Wales the win needed for qualification showed the need for them to be more clinical. But he added that Coleman’s team would relish facing Roy Hodgson’s players. “I think so,” he said, when asked if Wales fancied such opposition in France. “There will be a bit of banter between me and some of my team-mates at Arsenal. It is always a great game, committed game. I have been involved in two before. So yeah, why not?”

Wales’ record against England is not good. They lost twice to them in the qualifying campaign for the 2012 European Championship, twice more in the campaign for the 2006 World Cup, and have not beaten them since Mark Hughes’ goal proved decisive at Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground in 1984.

Ramsey said Wales believe they can win in Bosnia next month, rendering the subsequent home game against Andorra a mere celebration of what would be the home country’s first tournament appearance since 1958.

But he said that the side will need to get used to countries shutting up shop, as Israel did in Cardiff on Sunday, as their reputation grows. “We will just have to be more clinical in front of goal, really,” Ramsey said. “We created a few opportunities but we didn’t put the ball in the back of the net, which is disappointing for all the good play that we did. It is important in these sorts of games to be patient, move the ball quickly, side to side, and to wear them down. The gap will open up sooner or later, you just have to take that opportunity and then the game will open up and take care of itself.”