MALCOLM ALLEN, former Wales and Newcastle striker, gives his view on Wales huge Euro 2016 semi-final clash against Portugal...

We’ve had some great performances so far during this unforgettable Euro 2016 but what hit me more than anything else was Chris Coleman’s quote the day before the game.

He said: “We’re halfway through a journey.”

Those words hit me because it showed us the way they are thinking in the camp. I thought about that overnight and I thought, ‘they’re not finished here’.

 These players are ready for more. They haven’t reached their destination yet. That typifies the zone they are in. They are unbreakable.

At the Belgium game, I was prepared for any falls but I was confident. 

The moment that made me more confident was before we went behind when we blocked three of their shots, the last one from Hazard. 

It was a certain goal. But these players heroically threw themselves in front of the ball.

That little change in the game can affect both sides, and I thought ‘Now be brave, now roll your sleeves up’. 

And that’s exactly what they did; they got the ball down and started playing to their strengths. They stuck rigidly to their system and just built things up slowly.

And then Ashley Williams came up. He was determined to get a Wales goal. We spoke about the soft centre in this Belgium team and it showed from there on. 

The statistics show that the team who scores first in a match will go on to win the game 75 per cent of the time. But our team fought against the odds and they fought for each other.

You cannot put a price on the unity they’ve got.

Every player in the Wales team has a part to play.

 It’s like a Ferrari; a Ferrari has many, many parts before it’s a finished article. 

Yes, we have lost two important players in Aaron Ramsey and Ben Davies.

But what we need to remember is that players who have come into this system have never let the team down. 

In the last 17 games, we have only lost twice. These players have always been dependable.

We’ve seen the quality that Aaron possesses; he’s a ball carrier and a number 10. To replace him, we need someone in that same mould. 

He could go for Andy King, but I think I would go for ‘Joniesta’ – Jonny Williams.

He doesn’t score much but he carries the ball really well and that allows the likes of Neil Taylor and Chris Gunter on the wings to join in with the attack. 

And what better time to improve your end product than in the semi-finals of the European Championship?

Ben Davies has been a colossus, just as much as Ashley and James Chester. The three of them have been massive. What we did last year away to Cyprus and at home to Belgium was bring in Jazz Richards.

Jazz is quick and can play right back, and we could move Gunter into the middle. James Collins is an experienced centre half, but I would bring in Jazz.

The boys have said they are going to win this match for those two. I know for a fact that those players have stood up and said to Aaron and Ben: “We will win the semi-final so that they can play in the final”. 

These players have inspired each other from within. They don’t read the papers, they just keep each other entertained and they look no further than the next game. That is a massive strength.

The next game is Portugal. They haven’t won a game in 90 minutes so far in this competition. 

They’ve had an extra day off but that doesn’t mean a thing. We need to be ready for them.

The boys are as relaxed mentally as they’ve been throughout the tournament. 

Now the biggest prize, the biggest stage of their careers is just one game away. We are on the crest of a wave.

So far, I’ve had four out of five predictions right, except for the England game, and you can be sure it’s going to be five out of six after this game.

I’m going for another 3-1 victory for Wales. I don’t know how many books have been written about Welsh history, but we need another page now.