WANDERERS midfield ace Gary Speed had tears in his eyes as he announced his retirement from international football on Wednesday night.

Speed decided to call an end to his Wales career after being substituted 12 minutes from the end of their 3-2 defeat by Poland in a World Cup qualifier at the Millennium Stadium.

Speed turned to all four sides of the stadium to wave his goodbyes as he was taken off. He hugged team-mate Robbie Savage, gave him the captain's armband and then left the stage that he has graced for 14 years. The last 44 of his 85 caps had come as captain, a new Welsh record.

Speed now becomes a candidate for the vacant managers' job with Mark Hughes vacating the post to concentrate full-time on his duties at Blackburn.

Speed insists he will not apply for the post but said he would "talk to the FA of Wales if they approached me."

Hughes, after bringing to an end a 21-year career with Wales as player and manager, admitted that "Speed has the right qualities to be manager of Wales."

Earlier Savage had suggested that several players would quit if Speed was not appointed, but later he tempered that remark by saying: "I won't quit, I want to continue playing for Wales but the FAW have got an important decision to make and I hope they make the right one.

"Gary Speed and Brian Flynn should be given the job, everybody in the squad wants Gary to take over."

Speed struggled to control his emotions and wiped tears from his eyes as he said: "I suppose I made the decision as I was coming off being substituted, I knew then that it was my last game.

"I talked to Mark Hughes afterwards and told him what I was going to do, he respected that. I think he knew as well."

Speed added: "In terms of qualification the most important thing now is to get the team ready for the next campaign, we have lost the chance of going to Germany, two points from four games has seen to that.

"I have now retired, it was a hard decision to make because I am captain of my country. The main thing though is to get the team ready for the next campaign because I clearly won't be involved in that, I am 35 now.

"It is better for me to finish now rather than at the end of this campaign, this time next year. I know I won't be around.

"If we had won this one things might have been different but it is all about Wales going forward. I don't know whether I am the manager in the future. I am sure Sam Allardyce, my manager at Bolton, would have something to say about it.

"I have not heard or talked to anyone. Unless someone talks to me I am not going to consider. But yes, if asked, yes. I haven't been asked and until then won't think about it. I will tell you all if I am asked.

"I don't think I will apply, I don't think Sven-Goran Eriksson applies for any of his jobs, does he?

"I have learned so much, though, from Mark Hughes. He is the best coach I have played under, plus his coaches. He has taken us a long way.

"We have been down in the dumps a bit, but really everything has been very enjoyable. Now I will step aside because I think that will help Welsh football to let someone else step in to take us forward."

Wales had taken the lead against the Poles when Robert Earnshaw struck after 55 minutes but the visitors hit back through Tomasz Frankowski, Maciej Zurawski and Jacek Krzynowek.

Speed's replacement John Hartson pulled one back in the last minute but it was too late.