Azerbaijan Today.Com - Wales must beat Russia to kick-start the future, says Ian Rush

IAN RUSH reckons Wales stand just one victory away from believing again... and has urged John Toshack’s team to grab it this week.

While the World Cup finals remain out of reach, legendary forward Rush is adamant the visit of European giants Russia to the Millennium Stadium on Wednesday represents much more than a chance just to play for pride.

Instead, the greatest goalscorer in a Welsh shirt insists Guus Hiddink’s men could be the big scalp this young Wales side needs to kick on and challenge in the next campaign.

And having seen first hand what a win against the odds can do, Rush says the importance of shocking the super power in Cardiff this week shouldn’t be underestimated.

“People have said that we’re only playing for pride again,” said Rush, Wales’ leading goalscorer with his 28 strikes in 73 appearances for his country.

“But I’m not sure that’s really true. There have been a lot of times in the past when it has been the case.

“But, even though it’s not about qualifying from this group, what this side have got is a real chance to use it as a step up the ladder to where we want to be in the next campaign.

“And for this whole thing under Tosh to really kick on, we have to have a big performance against one of these top sides – and a big result to go with it.

“Do that and the confidence they would get as individuals and – more importantly – as a team would be massive.

“I was in the side when we beat Germany.

“That result really made us believe we could take on anyone on our day and we took that on into the next campaign.”

Rush was the hero that night in 1991 when Wales upset the world champions – the start of a period of real hope for Wales as they twice came within one win of making it to a major finals.

The result fired a whole nation and got the Dragons roaring again, something supporters are desperate to see once more.

This weekend Welsh fans have had to endure the sight of their Home Nations rivals creep closer towards qualification, even Scotland and Northern Ireland remaining in with a shout of making it to South Africa next summer.

But those sides’ recent success can be traced back to their own big scalps, Scotland beating Italy and France in the last campaign, while the men from Belfast have notched up impressive recent victories over the likes of England, Spain and Sweden.

And while those wins alone might not have led to qualification at the time, it seems like the teams are still feeding from the confidence they inspired.

With Andrei Arshavin and Co in town, Wales have their chance to follow suit ahead of the European Championship campaign next year.

“Beating a side like Russia would mean so much,” said Rush. “We went out to Moscow last season and gave a terrific performance and in the end were very unlucky to lose it.

“The players will have known that, but they will also know they couldn’t quite finish it off and get the result. That’s what they need, to see the rewards for their performance.

“And there’s no reason why they should be thinking they can’t do it.

“They may be young, but there is some real talent in this Wales side, they have home advantage this time and they have to believe they can do it.”

There is already extra confidence among the youngsters in the Wales camp gained from their impressive against-the-odds win in Azerbaijan in June, a severely weakened Welsh side performing with passion and determination and getting their rewards in the Baku heat.

But, while the experience against the Azeri was vital for the young Dragons, beating a team like Russia would take things to a whole new level.

It won’t be easy, with tiny terror Arshavin just one of several danger men who are looking to keep the pressure on Germany at the top of Group Four.

And Rush admitted: “You have to hope, from a Welsh point of view, that Arshavin’s not fit because he’s a great player and a real threat for any side.

“He’s adapted so well to British football and you would expect him to be the main worry for us.

“He’s come over and coped quite well with the different style and he can produce bits of magic that can really turn games.

“But it will mean more than just him because they have several real star players in the side and a manager who won’t be surprised by anything he sees, because of his great experience in the British game.

“This is a side that has every chance of going all the way and actually winning the World Cup, so we shouldn’t underestimate just what a huge challenge this is for us.

“The experience will only reward the team as a whole because we’re still a very young side and we need as much of this big-game scenarios as we can get.

“And we need the senior players to lead from the front and make things happen – while some of the younger ones need to show they don’t need looking after because some of them are Premier League players themselves now with top experience.

“Hopefully, we can have everyone fit because the amount of injuries we’ve had hasn’t helped in the past. Any side needs your best players.

“It’s a big challenge – but it’s also a huge opportunity because it’s the type of big result this side has been waiting for and we haven’t had for a long time.”

INTERVIEW: Chris Wathan

IAN RUSH is McDonalds’ Welsh Director of Football and was yesterday at Underhill Park in Swansea for a Football Open Day.

Part of McDonald’s community football programme, the event aims to help more people get involved in the game while raising the standard of grassroots football across the UK and helping to provide every local club with a qualified coach.