Joe Ledley On Crystal Palace, Wales At Euro 2016 And Playing Alongside Gareth Bale | OneFootball

Part two of an interview with Joe Ledley by Callum McFadden for WFi. Part one can be read here.

You swapped Celtic for Crystal Palace in 2010 to play in the Premier League; how do you reflect on your time at Selhurst Park as a whole?

“I thought we were fantastic, and we were the first Palace team to ever stay in the Premier League so that was a big achievement to be a part of.

“I signed when the Palace were bottom of the league. We ended up finishing close to mid-table and Tony Pulis won manager of the year which proves how many positives came out of that first season.

“Then, as I thought I was hitting top form, all of a sudden, I had about four or five managers in three and a half years which is always going to be difficult for any player and any team.

“However, I still enjoyed my time as we had a fantastic dressing room, exactly the same as Celtic, the boys were brilliant, and our fans were superb in their backing of the team, so I really enjoyed my time at Palace.

“In all honesty, I felt that I should have played more under certain managers but, it was an opportunity for me to play in the Premier League and play against the likes of Liverpool, Man Utd, Man City and Arsenal week in, week out.

“Those games and occasions help you better yourself as a player and test yourself against the best players in the country.

“Sure, at Celtic, I played against Barcelona and Benfica, teams like that but to play against them week in, week out and be up against the best in the English League was something else entirely.

“I believe that I played well for Palace whenever I had the opportunity to pull on the shirt and I certainly took the winning mentality that was instilled in me from Celtic.

“For me, it was all about winning, even against the big teams, coming off the pitch, losing still absolutely devastated me and I think without that experience at Celtic, I don’t think I would probably have ever played in the Premier League.”

You represented Wales for over a decade and a half and played at the European Championship of 2016 and reached the semi-finals. That was a remarkable achievement in the history of Welsh football with that run being the best run of any Welsh team in history. What are your memories of being a part of that special Euros squad?

“Truly unbelievable.

“I am a very proud Welshman and started my career at 17 with the national team and waited over 10 years to finally qualify for a major tournament with Wales.

“France was the perfect place for us as well because it is not too far from home, they had many amazing stadiums and amazing locations, and we felt as if we belonged at the tournament from the moment that we arrived.

“Our team was the first Welsh side to qualify for such a tournament since 1958 so it was huge, and our group set that tone for the national team to go on and progress even further to another Euros and a World Cup.

“In terms of the tournament experience, I loved every minute of it. It was unbelievable. Back home everyone always says thank you for 2016 which hits home just how much we put a lot of smiles on people’s faces

“Not only that but it was a monumental achievement — in our first competitive competition — as a group to go to the semi-finals against the best sides in Europe.

“I believe that on another day, if Aaron Ramsey was not suspended for the semi-final and Ben Davies not injured, that we could have gone on to reach the final.

“Overall, I still pinch myself when I think of what we achieved in that tournament especially as a small country like Wales by going into a semi-final of a major international tournament.”

“He was elite in every little detail.

“You could see the difference in him compared to us because of how good he was.

“Sometimes with Wales, you did not really see him too much because you only meet up for 10 days and it’s stop-start but we were at the Euros for over a month, so it was great to be able to spend time with him over a longer period.

“Just seeing him in training and the things he was able to do was extraordinary because, for all of his skill and technique, he was so powerful, quick and had the most unbelievable left foot.

“As players, we knew that we were very lucky to have a player like Gareth because, without him and Aaron Ramsey, we probably wouldn’t have achieved what we wanted to achieve.

“Not only did Gareth have world-class talent like you said but he was also a genuinely nice guy who really down to earth. There was nothing big time about him. He loved to join in with the banter among the group, he loved messing around and was one of the group in every sense.

“The biggest compliment that I can pay Gareth is that the way he is as a person is an honour to him and his family.”

“I’m looking to do my FIFA Football Agency exam and go down that route because I believe that with the career I had, I could help look after and mentor young players and help them develop their own careers.

“I have my A and B coaching badges, but I am settled here in Cardiff, and I’ve seen a lot of ex-players go into coaching and management who have had to move their families around the country for new jobs and opportunities.

“That is not for me because I just want to be settled. I was away for 10 years with my family, and we are all settled at home in Cardiff.

“Family comes first now, and I’ve got to follow them and that my kids have got their own friends and lives, and I would never take them away from that.

“So, in the years to come, I hope to be able to look after and represent young players and senior players, sign them, look after them and hopefully see them go on to have amazing careers in football.”