Gary Speed Cup: Late Wales great honoured at inaugural tournament

Wales lose on penalties to Japan and, after beating Gibraltar, defeat against Northern Ireland means it is their final opponents who triumph in the inaugural Cwpan Gary Speed.

In a developmental competition like this, though, results are secondary.

“The tournament is first and foremost about Gary and making sure we put on a fitting tribute to such a wonderful human being,” Harvie says.

“And then secondly it’s about the players, making sure we perform well, so come the end of that camp, they’ve learned something, they’ve found it really challenging, but they’ve enjoyed it most importantly.

“So yeah, there will be bits that I’ll reflect on regarding me, but that tournament is not about me, it’s about Gary and his legacy.”

Singing the anthem is always a special moment for Harvie, born in England but honorary Welsh.

The same is true of Carol Speed, who stands by the Wales dugout after meeting both sets of players and being handed flowers, which she holds close to her as the anthems play.

Her son changed the course of Welsh football, and this tournament will carry his memory for years to come.

“It’s remarkable that people are still remembering him, still doing things like this,” Carol says.

“We obviously thought he was wonderful, but so did everybody else. We didn’t realise that until after he’d passed.

“He’s had a housing estate named after him, he’s had a park named after him and now he’s had a football tournament named after him. I’m very proud of him.”