Rob Page insisted he will take Wales forward after their Euro 2024 dream was ended by penalty shoot-out heartbreak.

Daniel James missed the decisive spot-kick as Wales lost 5-4 on penalties to Poland after a goalless draw at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Football Association of Wales chief executive Noel Mooney put Page’s position in the spotlight in October by saying the manager’s position would be reviewed if the Dragons did not qualify for Euro 2024 automatically.

Page and Mooney held clear the air talks after those comments – the 49-year-old remaining in post after Wales had to settle for a play-off place that ultimately ended in failure.

“I’ve got a great relationship with Dave Adams, the technical director,” said boss Page.

“We’ve had our issues in the past, haven’t we? It’s been well documented. But everything’s fine. Everything’s great. I think they appreciate it.

“The board, the chief exec, the president, I think they see the journey we’re on and what we’re trying to do.

“In 12 months, from retirement of senior players to introducing younger players and being one kick away from qualification. I think they see the work we’re doing and the supporters do too.”

Wales had never been involved in a penalty shoot-out in their history and it was left to James, with the 10th spot-kick, to feel the pain of failing to convert as Poland goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny pushed out his effort.

Page told S4C: “It is a cruel game and that is what I have said to the players. One kick away from qualifying and it hurts.

“I thought we were the better team. I’ve just said to the group, ‘look how far we have come – we are that disappointed we have not qualified for a major tournament’.”

Page offered sympathy to James and praised his squad for their efforts throughout the qualifying campaign.

He added: “We will rally round Deej. He had the bravery to take that penalty.

“I’m just so proud of that group and the nation should be proud of them. They have put a shift and some in tonight to try to get us there.

“We will be bigger and stronger for going through this horrible experience. We are going somewhere. There is something good happening with this group.

“They are so disappointed but they are hungry for it. We were nearly there, one kick away. There is a lot more to come.”

Page defended his decision to keep Aaron Ramsey on the bench and not send on his skipper in the closing stages.

Ramsey has not started a game since September because of knee and calf issues, but played 20 minutes for Cardiff in their last game following his latest injury.

“Who could he come on and replace?” said Page.

“We needed two sixes on the park and we weren’t going to take a risk in extra-time.”

Rob Page says he has cleared the air with Football Association of Wales chief Noel Mooney after their public spat last month.

Mooney put Page’s future in the spotlight four days before the Euro 2024 qualifier against Croatia by saying the manager’s position would be reviewed if Wales did not qualify for Euro 2024 automatically.

Subsequent media reports suggested Mooney had wanted fellow Irishman Roy Keane, the former Sunderland and Ipswich manager and TV pundit, to replace Page following June defeats to Armenia and Turkey.

Page is just over 12 months into a four-year contract and promised to “ignore the noise” during the build-up to a game that Wales eventually won 2-1 to move into the second automatic qualifying place in Group D.

Captain Ben Davies described Mooney’s comments as “not helpful”, and Page said the issue has since been addressed at a meeting between himself, the chief executive and FAW president Steve Williams.

“It was a conversation all three of us needed,” Page said when announcing his squad on Wednesday for this month’s final Euro 2024 qualifiers against Armenia and Turkey.

“I’m not going to go into details of what was said. It needed to be done and only positives will come from it.

“I’m due to meet him (Mooney) after the press conference and we’ll have a coffee and a chat.

“Things were said and that was it. We all move forward in the same direction. Full focus is now on the football.

“It was frustrating, unnecessary. But I don’t want to spend any more time thinking about it. We’re all on the same page.

“We all know what we’ve got to do. It would be disrespectful from me now to the players to keep going on about it.”

Tottenham forward Brennan Johnson returns to a 23-man squad after missing the win over Croatia with a hamstring injury.

Page maintains stand-in skipper Davies will be fit for both qualifiers, despite the defender missing Spurs’ 4-1 Premier League defeat against Chelsea on Monday and also being in danger of sitting out his club’s weekend game at Wolves.

Sunderland defender Niall Huggins has won his first senior call-up and Portsmouth midfielder Joe Morrell returns after a two-match suspension.

But Aaron Ramsey is again ruled out with the knee injury he sustained in September, and Page says the Cardiff midfielder has suffered a “setback” in his recovery.

He said: “It’s disappointing, I found out on Friday last week. As we all know Aaron was pushing and pushing to be part of this camp.

“Unfortunately it’s come a little too soon for him. He’s had a setback. He got up to about 90 per cent. If you’d seen him on the grass, straight lines, everything was fine.

“But there was something stopping him from going to that last step. So it’s not great for us, but it gives others an opportunity.

“He’ll be a part of it (the squad). I had that conversation with him last camp. He knew he wasn’t going to play any minutes in regards to the changing room, but to have Aaron around the lads is definitely beneficial.”

Wales can avoid the play-offs in March by beating Armenia in Yerevan on November 18 and Turkey in Cardiff three days later.

Dropped points in either game will leave them relying on other results to join already-qualified Turkey at next summer’s European Championship in Germany.

“June was a bump in the road,” Page said of damaging defeats to Armenia and Turkey in the space of four days.

“We didn’t like it. We didn’t appreciate it. We didn’t like what we saw, but we put it right in September (by beating Latvia) – and some.

“We built on that in October and capped it off with arguably one of the best performances that I’ve seen.

“We have to build on that. It will count for nothing if we don’t follow it up.”

Wales manager Rob Page has promised to “ignore the noise” amid reports that his job could be in jeopardy.

It was reported on Saturday morning – little more than 24 hours before Wales’ vital Euro 2024 qualifier against Croatia in Cardiff – that Football Association of Wales chief executive Noel Mooney had wanted former Sunderland and Ipswich manager and TV pundit Roy Keane to replace Page following June defeats to Armenia and Turkey.

Page signed a four-year deal in September 2022, but Mooney confirmed this week that the manager’s position would be reviewed next month if Wales did not qualify for Euro 2024 automatically.

Wales are currently fourth in Group D and need to win their final three games against Croatia, Armenia and Turkey to realistically secure a top-two place and avoid the play-offs in March.

Page responded to the speculation over his future at his pre-match press conference for the Croatia game, saying: “We’ve got to ignore all the noise. It is noise and that’s it, so we try to protect the players as much as we can.

“I have not spoken to the chief executive at all, so I could not tell you whether it is true or not (that he is to be replaced).

“All I have to focus on is, before the World Cup I signed a four-year deal and the long-term plan for me is to start introducing young players into the group.

“We are in a transition period and we have said this time and time again. We have lost big players like Joe Allen and Gareth Bale. Not just for what they bring us on the pitch, but also the value they add in the changing room.

“We’ve seen the talent we’ve got coming through. We’re developing these young players and it’s going to take time.

“I get the frustration. We want to win games of football but there’s got to be a bit of perspective. I’m doing what’s best for the FAW, not myself. By introducing these young players, it is better for Wales in the future.”

Three members of Page’s coaching staff – Alan Knill, Ian Mitchell and Tony Roberts – took the unusual step of attending the press conference at the back of the room in an apparent show of unity.

“It’s a great gesture from the staff, not something I was ready for but I really appreciate it,” said a visibly-emotional Page.

“We are really close and everyone is pushing in the right direction. I wish the supporters and you guys (the media) could see what we’ve got in that changing room. It’s incredible. The staff here means a lot.

“We’re in an industry where everyone wants to win games of football. I feel the frustration as well but the bigger picture is we have a plan to introduce younger players for the future.

“I can’t worry about the business side of it, cost-cutting and all that. I’ve got a job to do as a football coach to get them in the right place, physically and mentally, to win games of football.”

Mooney told BBC Wales on Wednesday that a “serious review” would take place on Page’s position after the Armenia and Turkey games next month when “everything will be settled”.

Wales captain Ben Davies was critical of Mooney’s comments, saying: “It’s not helpful. We don’t want noise coming from within the organisation. We hope that everybody is on the same page.

“It is disappointing to hear, but as far we are concerned it’s not our focus. Our focus is the game against Croatia.”

Asked specifically about Page, Davies said: “We’re very supportive of the manager. It’s professional every day and everyone wants to come on camp.

“Having a manager always behind you and giving you support breeds loyalty and he deserves our support now.

“We’re a tight-knit group and I think that part of the reason we’ve had the success we’ve had over the years is because we all stick together.”

Wales defender Chris Mepham is in contention to start against Croatia, despite being out for a month with a hamstring injury.

Manager Rob Page says Wales should not move home games to the Principality Stadium ahead of Euro 2028.

The UK and Ireland’s bid to host Euro 2028 was formally approved on Tuesday, with the 74,500-capacity home of Welsh rugby in Cardiff among the 10 venues to be used for the tournament.

The idea of playing at the Principality Stadium – Wales have played there only once since 2011, a 4-1 friendly defeat to Spain in October 2018 – angers a large section of the Dragons’ fan base, who prefer that games are played at the 33,280-capacity Cardiff City Stadium.

But Noel Mooney, chief executive of the Football Association of Wales, last month raised the possibility of the men’s national team playing there before Euro 2028 to allow players and supporters to get used to the venue should they qualify for the tournament.

“Do I want it? No,” Page said of that suggestion ahead of Wales’ friendly with Gibraltar on Wednesday, which will be only the second time that the Dragons have played at Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground since 2008.

“The atmosphere and what we have created at Cardiff City Stadium is incredible.

“I’ve been quite vocal about it in the last couple of weeks because, although we have a game in Wrexham, what we have created in Cardiff is incredible and has definitely played a part in helping us with our success in the last two years.

“Promotion from B to A in the Nations League, qualification for the Euros and then the World Cup, our supporters in that stadium played a massive part.”

All five countries – England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland – are expected to go through qualification for Euro 2028, with UEFA understood to be reserving two host nation places for any of the teams which do not make it on merit.

While the final and possibly both semi-finals could be at Wembley, the FAW is hoping to stage the opening match of the tournament and maybe as many as six games at the Principality Stadium.

“It’s a grey area. I don’t think it’s going to be an automatic qualification for us,” Page said.

“It’s massive for us as a country, nation, Cardiff as a capital. It’s a great achievement (to host Euro 2028).

“Everyone should be proud of bringing the tournament to the city.”

Page is expected to hand senior debuts to Charlie Savage, Luke Harris and Owen Beck in front of a sell-out 10,000 crowd against Gibraltar.

The trio will then join up with their Wales Under-21 team-mates for Friday’s European Championship qualifier in the Czech Republic.

Beck, the great-nephew of Liverpool and Wales striker Ian Rush, says he regularly receives advice from his famous relative.

“When I got called up it was a dream come true, a surreal moment,” said Beck, the Liverpool full-back currently on loan at Scottish Premiership side Dundee.

“All my family are coming. I’ve spoken to him (Rush) and if he gives me any advice, it’s from the best and really valuable to me.

“I’m sure he’ll be here watching. He’s someone I look up to, to have a career like that at club and international level. He’s a great inspiration.”

Savage, the son of former Wales midfielder Robbie, told the FAW website: “Growing up, if someone told me at the age of 20 that I’d be called up by my country, I’d have bitten your hand off. I’ve got to enjoy it whether I play or not.

“I’m looking forward to Wednesday. My nan’s coming, she lives about a mile away from The Racecourse. To have all my family there from Wrexham, it will be an amazing night.”

Gibraltar are 198th on the FIFA rankings table with only nine teams below them.

Julio Cesar Ribas’ side are using the game as preparation for their Euro 2024 qualifier against Republic of Ireland on Monday.

Wales are in talks to play world champions Argentina.

Lionel Messi and company have been lined up as potential opponents for the Dragons with Wales keen to play Argentina in Cardiff or Patagonia, where thousands of Welsh emigrants settled in the 19th century.

“There is an ongoing discussion between us and them,” Football Association of Wales chief executive Noel Mooney said about a possible friendly between the two nations.

“We spoke to them in the last few days about playing in Cardiff.

“I met the Argentinian ambassador when he was in Cardiff talking to the Welsh Government.

“I used the opportunity to talk to him about the opportunity for Wales to go down to play in Argentina. He was excited by the idea, although he obviously he doesn’t decide who plays who.”

Wales have played only once at Cardiff’s 74,500-capacity Principality Stadium since 2011 – a friendly against former European and world champions Spain in October 2018 – and many Dragons’ fans dislike the idea of playing at the home of Welsh rugby.

But Wales will return to Principality Stadium should UK and Ireland win their bid to host Euro 2028 in Switzerland next month – and the Dragons qualify for the tournament.

The Principality Stadium is among 10 venues to be used across five nations should the UK and Ireland bid be successful.

Mooney said: “You’d have to assume we’d need to play some matches there before the competition to get spectators and players used to it.

“We haven’t thought that much about it, but what I can say is that we know who we’d like to play if we had to – World Cup winners Argentina.

“We may not be at the very top of their queue, but if you look at Patagonia and the relationship between the two countries it would be great. We’d love to do it.

“There is a connection and history between us and Argentina because of the Patagonian links and the Welsh people who settled there.

“I could feel from the Argentine ambassador that warmth they have behind Wales and I’d love to see Lionel Messi playing in Cardiff.”

Patagonia is at the southern end of Argentina – around 1,000 miles from the capital Buenos Aires – and in 2006 the Wales rugby team played at Puerto Madryn, a city founded by Welsh settlers in 1865.

Wales and Argentina have only met twice before, with their last fixture being a 2002 friendly at the Principality Stadium when Craig Bellamy scored in a 1-1 draw against the South Americans.