A lack of passion? It really hurts to hear that.

Byline: PAUL WALKER

MIDFIELDER Simon Davies has hit back at claims that he has lacked passion while playing for his country, but admits he has considered retiring from international football.

Davies, 29, will not be included in Wales boss John Toshack's squad to be named today for next Wednesday's friendly in Montenegro as he has only just returned to full training after foot surgery.

But Davies has revealed his anguish at the criticism he was subjected to last term, with several other senior men, including Jason Koumas, sharing the brunt.

The uproar followed the disastrous home defeat by Finland in March that virtually ended Wales' hopes of qualifying for next summer's World Cup finals in South Africa.

An angry Toshack claimed that some of his senior players lacked leadership in a team that included several youngsters.

Now Davies said: "It's hard when the manager criticises you and I haven't agreed with everything he has said about me in the past. But you just take it on board. I'm a player, he is the manager and you just toe the line."

Toshack would almost certainly have dropped Davies for the home game with Germany, four days after the Finland defeat, if injury had not robbed him of Craig Bellamy.

Davies added: "We expected criticism after that and the manager could have dropped all of us as no-one is bigger than the national team and no-one has a divine right to play.

"If I had been dropped I would have held my hands up and worked harder to get back in the team. But we'll never know what the team might have been if everyone had been fit.

"People focus on the senior players to drag the team through as the more experience you have, the more responsibility you have.

"So when you are an experienced player, you expect to get the brunt of the criticism as the younger players are protected - and rightly so.

"Sometimes, though, it gets into a blame game and that's not the way to go about it as we are a team, including the manager. We are all as one."

Referring to the criticism after the embarrassment against Finland, Davies said: "We were accused of not putting in effort.

"One of the papers carried a picture of someone grabbing the Welsh badge and that was a massive dig at us and no-one in the squad was happy with that.

"You can accuse us all day about our technical ability and tactical game because that's part and parcel of football. But when you get criticised for not having enough passion when playing for your country, that's just pathetic. It is not down to a lack of effort.

"Every one of us puts everything into every game but sometimes things just don't work out. You do get disappointed with criticism but that is professional football, you have to take it on the chin."

Davies, who has won 57 caps and has captained his country, added: "I did initially think after this campaign I'd have a look and see about retiring from Wales.

"It gets harder and harder because the Premier League is so demanding. But having this injury and being out for three months has given me back a lot of appetite to try and improve.

"I wouldn't want to finish playing for Wales now, the way it finished with this campaign. I know we've got a few games to go in this campaign so hopefully that goes well.

"I'd like to think, if selected, that I can still do a job and play well for Wales. This injury and the break, it has definitely given me hunger and appetite to get back and do as best I can."

CAPTION(S):

Wales midfielder Simon Davies