VANCOUVER — Carl Robinson could see his country's plan starting to take shape early on.
Having just missed out on the European Championship in 2004, Wales went about implementing a long-term blueprint with the goal of finally qualifying for the country's first major tournament since 1958.
The model included promoting groups of players together through the country's youth system, and when Robinson was at the tail end of his international career a few years later, the no-nonsense midfielder decided to stay on and help nurture the next generation.
"Other senior players decided if they weren't going to be regular starters then they didn't want to play anymore. I didn't decide that," said Robinson. "I was 31 at the time and I thought that I could help the young players even if I wasn't playing. For 18 months I was in and around the squad trying to teach and help the manager with the likes of Gareth (Bale) and Aaron (Ramsey).
"There were a lot of good players. They were very young and very inexperienced and they didn't know what was right and what was wrong, but you could see they had talent."
That ability carried the Welsh to their first tournament in 58 years when they qualified for the 2016 European Championship in France, which gets underway Friday.
The 39-year-old Robinson, now in his third season as head coach of Major League Soccer's Vancouver Whitecaps, said the vision and patience of the Football Association of Wales helped get the national team over the top.
"It took the clever heads getting together and developing a plan," said Robinson. "It's been an eight, 10-year plan to get them to where they want to be.
"When you see it first-hand and come to fruition, it makes you even more proud to be a Welshman."
Wales was drawn into Group B at the upcoming tournament with rivals England as well as Russia and Slovakia. Robinson said he believes his countrymen can move on as one of the top two teams in the pool, but stressed there's little room for error.
"If Wales win the first game (on Saturday against Slovakia) I think they'll qualify for the knockout round with seven points because I don't think England will beat them," said Robinson, who played 52 times for his country. "If Wales lose the first game, there's a possibility they could lose every single game. It's small margins.
"Hopefully the emotion doesn't get caught up with them. You need a little bit of luck along the way, but I hope they can show what all their hard work has been for."
Robinson said he's still in contact with a number of the players he helped tutor — including Ramsey, James Collins and Ashley Williams — and wished them luck.
"It's about focus now," he said. "I hope they go there with a free mind."
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