CHRIS GUNTER will swap League Two for the World Cup this winter.
And the defender believes dropping into the EFL’s bottom division to join AFC Wimbledon in the summer gave him the best chance of booking his place on the flight to Qatar.
Gunter, 33, was one of the stars of Wales’ incredible run to the Euro 2016 semi-finals — knocking out tournament favourites Belgium en route.
But the former Reading and Nottingham Forest ace — who followed his Charlton boss Johnnie Jackson to Plough Lane this summer — had no qualms about getting his hands dirty against the likes of Crawley and Barrow.
Gunter told SunSport: “The most important thing leading into a major tournament is to make sure you’re getting regular football.
“So from the summer until the World Cup starts, that is three to four months worth of playing time.
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“I’m not going to improve or diminish in that space of time so the most important thing was to give myself the best possible chance of playing regular football, which I have done and at a place where I feel comfortable.”
It is going to be a different world from taking part in the greatest football tournament on the planet which kicks off next month with Wales in the same group as England, USA and Iran.
And Gunter is proud to be part of history yet again as Wales have not been to a World Cup since they competed in Sweden in 1958. Having been in that 2016 team that broke their 58-year wait to play in a major tournament, he also played in the Euros last summer.
But the defender says it is a huge shame so many Welsh fans will be unable to go because either they have been priced out by the sky high prices in Qatar or because it falls just before Christmas during a cost-of-living crisis.
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He said: “Regardless of where and when this tournament was being held, for Wales as a country I don’t think we can complain or see it in any negative way.
“But the only slight bit of disappointment in the logistics of it is it may potentially stop as many fans as we might have taken had it been in the summer plus the whole cost of it will stop people too.
“I don’t know how FIFA can control the prices of hotels and flights there. Like a lot of things in the world at the minute, things seem to be more expensive with the prices of stuff going up.
“You should only hope when you have tournaments such as this with fans going from around the world that prices should be a fair one and not inflated so someone makes a load of money.
“We saw during Covid times that when the fans are not there in the stadium, it’s a completely different sport.
“I know from trying to sort a few things out myself out there that it’s expensive. The host nations do have a responsibility to be fair hosts too.
“But from a players’ point of view, the chance to go to a World Cup is hugely exciting, even if staging it in the middle of a football season is strange.
“It won’t be like previous tournaments where you get a proper build-up to it. Right up to the tournament, we won’t be able to have too much thought about it because we’ll be still at our clubs and having games.
“But I’m sure the day we go to Wales and meet up, it’s going to be a short build up and one full of excitement. Hopefully we can go there and do as well as we can.”
Incredibly, Gunter might not be the only League Two player in the Wales squad.
Midfielder Jonny Williams (Swindon) and keeper Tom King (Salford) could also be on their way to Qatar.
Gunter said: “It just shows you the strength of football in Britain. Name me a country in the world which can get 10,000 crowds for matches in the fifth tier like Wrexham do?
“Football is getting better down the levels. It all filters down from the Premier League and is just getting stronger and stronger.”
AFC Wimbledon got off to a slow start after relegation from League One but travel to Walsall today aiming to post their first back-to-back wins of the season.
And Gunter said: “We’ve been playing well and apart from Stockport we could have got more out of the games.
“While we’re putting performances in and giving ourselves the best chances, we can get the results. We’re now aiming for the results to match our performances.”
eBay’s EFL for Community Champions Event
CHRIS GUNTER was speaking as part of eBay’s Community Champions event, in partnership with the EFL.
eBay is the official partner of EFL as part of its wider Small Business United campaign.
As part of the partnership, they have launched the 2022 eBay Community Champions event.
On October 15, AFC Wimbledon will take on Sutton United in the local League Two derby match. The Community Champions event is eBay’s own spin on this local derby, and a celebration of all things football.
eBay has bought together four local grassroots teams to see who will be crowned ‘eBay Community Champions 2022’. Two local businesses, Hampers by Lauren, and Dassleresales sponsored the matchday alongside eBay.
The event will be a series of fun football challenges and games which give grassroots players the opportunity to exhibit their football skills and flare, whilst being professionally coached by Wimbledon and Sutton players.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
