Giggs seeks chance on biggest stage

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manchester United's Norwegian striker, would love to see his Old Trafford team-mate, Ryan Giggs, play on the biggest stage in world football, but both players know they will have to wait a little longer. The United men face each other at the Ullevaal stadium in Norway and Wales' World Cup Group Five qualifier but neither side can reach next year's finals.

For Giggs that means he – like many Wales players before him – can see his chances of ever playing in a World Cup finals competition drifting away.

Solskjaer said: "You would like to see Ryan in a World Cup against the best defenders in the world. But thankfully he does play against the best for Manchester United.

"You want to play on the biggest stage. Ryan is not going to do it this time. But if [the Wales manager] Mark Hughes keeps the spirit going you never know – they might qualify for the European Championships.

"I know Wales are low in the rankings, and they always get very hard groups because of that. But sometimes it is easier to play against so-called better teams, like in this group."

Norway were expected to romp into the finals, but Solskjaer explained: "If you look at our group you see eastern European teams that you think you have a good chance against, yet they have all improved so much in five years.

"Look at Poland, Belarus – they are not easy to play against. Wales could do that over the next few years and improve to that extent. Then they could really surprise people, and you might well see Ryan in a major finals."

The expectations mean the pressures on Norway's coach, Nils Semb, now are greater than those on Hughes as his team approach their penultimate group match.

Solskjaer said: "I don't think the Norwegian people are very happy with us. Nine out of 10 are unhappy with us, so it's important for us to show them what we can do better. The pressure is on our coach, and us, too.

"It's easy to look at the coach and say he is not good enough and he can't do his job, but the players on the pitch are the ones who must perform. We can't score, and that's our fault. I don't believe it when I hear people say that if we don't beat Wales he will go. I don't think so."

Solskjaer believes Wales, meanwhile, are doing many things right. "It looks to me that Mark Hughes has got things going on the right lines," he said. "I have spoken to Ryan about it, and he is very positive.

"On his day Ryan is the best dribbler in the world. Fortunately I see him a lot from the sidelines, and he's just fantastic to watch. He, above all, is the player we must be careful of. He is Wales' best player. But there are many other for Wales in the Premier League, and they have a good unit – so it won't be easy."

Wales, who have John Robinson, Darren Barnard, John Hartson and Nathan Blake back from injury or suspension, will equal their worst record for 31 years if they fail to beat Norway.

Giggs, leading the side in Gary Speed's absence, said: "I enjoy being captain. I know that the United players in the Norway team are really looking forward to the game."

He believes Wales are capable of much better, too. He said: "There's a lot of young players, a great bunch of lads and they all want desperately to win games. We work hard in games and training – but sometimes we just miss chances. I think we have got things sorted at the other end and we have stopped giving away silly goals; now it's up to us forwards to score at the other end."