Keeper Jones poised for 50th cap
Veteran goalkeeper Paul Jones says he has every intention of adding to his 50th Wales cap after Saturday's Euro 2008 qualifer with Slovakia.
The QPR stopper, 40 in April, will reach the milestone in the match at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.
\"There was a time when my 50th cap seemed a million miles away, but these few months have been great,\" he said.
\"I will be sneaking towards 60 caps now - and take every chance I can to play for my country.\"
Jones had slipped down the pecking order behind Danny Coyne, but an injury to the Burnley man allowed Jones to reclaim the Wales number one shirt.
A 51st cap should follow swiftly on Wednesday when Wales play the second of their home double-header against Cyprus.
While Jones will become the 25th Wales player to win 50 caps for his country, he believes there is now a new generation of players who will one day join him in this select club.
On Saturday Jones can expect to be playing behind a five-man defence with an average age of just 23 - and that includes 27 year-old Danny Gabbidon.
Teenagers Lewin Nyatanga and Gareth Bale have seven caps between them, while Rob Edwards and Richard Duffy have played for their country 13 and eight times respectively.
\"I don't recall being in a side as young as this, it makes me feel old!\" Jones added.
\"A lot of lads have had a taste of action for Wales since John Toshack took over as manager.
\"What's left of the senior lads in the squad have confidence in them.
\"You find with kids that they don't have any nerves anyway. They are confident and want to take their opportunity.
\"I will have some excellent youngsters in front of me, Lewin (Nyatanga) and Gareth (Bale) were outstanding against Brazil in our last game.
\"Gareth was just coming through the Academy when I was at Southampton, as was (England and Arsenal striker) Theo Walcott.
\"I just about remember them but they were highly rated by the coaches there, and now both are proving their worth in first-team football.\"
\"Now they will have to come in for a major competitive match, but they can handle it and I hope they grab the chance to show what they can do.
\"It is up to them to show they are up to the task.\"
Keeper Jones looks to bounce back
Veteran keeper Paul Jones has vowed to fight to ensure that his nightmare 50th cap will not be his last for Wales.
The QPR man, 39, was held to blame for at least two of the goals in Wales' 5-1 loss to Slovakia and is under pressure from Lewis Price and Jason Brown.
\"You go straight back to training and work hard or you'll never go on a pitch again,\" said Jones, who shaved a dragon and 50 into his hair before the game.
\"You can't make mistakes at this level like I did, I hold my hands up.\"
Jones, who became the 25th player to reach the Wales 50-cap landmark, admitted his disappointment at the way the Millennium Stadium game turned out - both for himself and for the youngsters in red around him.
\"Of course that wasn't the way I wanted to celebrate 50 caps, I was very disappointed, we were all shattered, especially the young lads,\" said Jones, who hopes to retain his place against Cyprus in Cardiff on Wednesday.
\"We had to try to pick them up because a lot of them hadn't experienced anything like that before.
\"As for the match, we had a good few chances and then they score with a scuffed effort on the far post and their only other two chances of the first half.
\"They punished us. We were not playing badly but conceded bad goals.
\"We still thought at the break we were good enough to get back into the game, but it wasn't to be.\"
Wales centre-back Danny Gabbidon had words of consolation for Chirk-man Jones.
\"Paul's an experienced guy and a great goalkeeper,\" Gabbidon told Sir Stanley after the Slovakia game.
\"He's won 50 caps and that says it all - not many players have done that.
\"He's a good professional and he'll be more determined than anyone on Wednesday.\"
