Thatcher defends Toshack abuse

After John Toshack accused Ben Thatcher of being scared of facing Poland, the Welsh defender has slammed his international boss.

Thatcher was outraged when Toshack spoke of problems between them after his absence from the Wales squad for the last game against Poland.

Thatcher will not feature in forthcoming games against Northern Ireland and Azerbaijan due to injury - but he is angry about his treatment by the manager.

Thatcher told the South Wales Echo: "The manager has questioned my commitment and credibility in public and I feel I have no choice but to defend myself and tell the truth,

"The manager said I was scared of reprisals following the clash in Cardiff last October when I was banned for the incident with Polish midfielder Kamil Kosowski.

"Nothing could be further from the truth than to say I was scared. I have never bottled anything in my life and I am not going to start now.

"I would have absolutely relished a battle in Poland, that's a major part of my game. Above all I will not be spoken to by anyone in the manner he spoke to me on the phone, the whole tone was in a taunting fashion accusing me of ducking out of the game and asking why I was doing that.

"The manager asked me why I was not coming down to South Wales and I said to him that the Manchester City doctors had informed the FAW that I needed to rest the ankle.

"He then told me he was disappointed and launched into a verbal attack, accusing me of worrying about the reaction of the Polish players and their crowd following the previous incident with Kosowski and of being scared.

"Nothing was further from the truth and it didn't even cross my mind. I could not believe the manager mistrusted me and the medical staff at Manchester City or that I was effectively being accused of being scared to travel to Poland.

"He then went through a series of games that I did not attend, some of which I had not even been picked for because of suspension or when I was injured, and that was unfair.

"I am not a player who fakes injury, I have played strapped up and with pain reducing injections. I hope this issue can be resolved and that is why I have never said I will retire."