Nyatanga set to become Wales' youngest player
Nyatanga set to become Wales' youngest player
The current record holder is Ryan Green who was 17 years and 226 days old when he made his full debut against Malta in 1998.

Cardiff: Defender Lewin Nyatanga is set to enter the record books as Wales' youngest ever international after the 17-year-old was named in the Wales squad to play Paraguay in next month's friendly.

The Derby teengager, who was born on August 18, 1988, was one of seven players aged 22 or under named by coach John Toshack in the squad against the World Cup finalists.

The current record holder is former Wolves defender Ryan Green, now at Hereford, who was 17 years and 226 days old when he made his full debut against Malta in 1998 under Bobby Gould.

That broke the previous record held by Ryan Giggs, who played his first full international in 1991 against Germany when he was 17 years and 321 days old.

Giggs is set to play in central midfield for Wales during the 2008 European Championships qualifying campaign as Toshack looks to repeat the switch successfully experimented by Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

"We need to look at Giggs' role as we do with Craig Bellamy and Robert Earnshaw who have played up front together before," Toshack said.

Giggs, 32, is Wales' most experienced player with 55 caps and finds himself leading the squad for the St David's Day friendly against Paraguay on March 1 at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

With John Hartson retiring from the international front, Toshack is looking to move Giggs into a deeper central role more permanently.

"That will happen more now John Hartson has gone - we do not have an alternative target man," Toshack said.

"At Manchester United - because of the problems they have had in that area - Ryan has been playing much deeper in central midfield. You would look at that and say he would not have even been capable of doing that years ago," he said.

"But he played very well there for United against Liverpool at Old Trafford recently, his performance there virtually won the game for United. Maybe his future is more central, but for us it depends on who we are playing. Fergie sees Ryan as a more central player these days, just like us," he said.

"He has the experience to play just behind the front man and does it well. There's no doubt having Ryan sitting out on the wing for an hour and not getting the ball in a game is a waste. We need him to be involved much more. Frankly, wherever the play is and the ball is, we want Ryan to be there," he added.

Toshack has also given a first call-up to 29-year-old Orient goalkeeper Glynn Garner after his starring role in the League Two club's FA Cup run.

Team:

Goalkeepers: Paul Jones (QPR), Glyn Garner (Orient), Lewis Price (Ipswich); Defenders: Danny Collins (Sunderland), James Collins (West Ham), Mark Delaney (Aston Villa), Robert Edwards (Wolves), Danny Gabbidon (West Ham), Nyatanga (Derby), Robbie Page (Coventry), David Partridge (MK Dons), Sam Ricketts (Swansea), Andrew Crofts (Gillingham); Midfielders: Simon Davies (Everton), Carl Fletcher (West Ham), Mark Jones (Wrexham), Jason Koumas (Cardiff), Joe Ledley (Cardiff), Carl Robinson (Norwich), David Vaughan (Crewe); Forwards: Craig Bellamy (Blackburn), David Cotterill (Bristol City), Robbie Earnshaw (Norwich), Ryan Giggs (Man Utd)

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