JAMES Collins believes venturing into the unknown won't stop Wales from qualifying for the knockout stages when they end their 58-year wait for major tournament football at Euro 2016.

Chris Coleman's side meet up next week to start their preparations for France where they will lock horns with Slovakia, England and Russia.

Wales will be backed loudly in Bordeaux, Lens and Toulouse by fans relishing a return to the big time after so many frustrating qualification campaigns since the World Cup in 1958.

And West Ham defender Collins believe that tournament inexperience won't be a barrier to extending their campaign beyond the June 20 meeting with the Russians at the Stadium Municipal de Toulouse.

"I can't wait for the European Championship finals," the 32-year-old from Newport said to the Hammers' official website.

"I had a chat with Mark Hughes at Stoke and for all us Welsh lads it's a new experience that he and so many other great Wales players never had, for one reason or another.

"We're going into it blind, because none of us really know what to expect, but we're full of excitement.

"We've got three games to play and we'll be looking to qualify out of our group, and I think we've got every chance.

"We meet up in Cardiff on Monday and have a week in the sun in Portugal, then we get our heads on it for a friendly against Sweden and then straight to France for the tournament.

"We have got Slovakia first and I think that's a must-win for us. We need to go there and get three points there to kick us off nicely.

"I think a win and a draw will see us through, so that's what we're looking to do and we're confident we can.

"We've got Slovakia to look forward to first, then a massive game with England. It's a huge game if we play England in a friendly, but to be playing them in a major tournament is even bigger, but everyone's looking forward to it."

Collins made 26 appearances for the Hammers last season but missed out on the latter stages of the campaign with Winston Reid and Angelo Ogbonna preferred at the heart of the defence.

His international career looked over in 2014 after a spat with Coleman but clear-the-air talks meant a return to the fray for the 3-0 win in Israel that helped secure qualification and, after winning cap number 47 against the Netherlands last November, he hopes to feature this summer.

"It was a little bit frustrating not to play a bigger part in the final few games. I wanted to get back in and play and thought I might have had a chance, but that's football and I'm old enough to realise that the boys in the team had been doing well.

"Overall, I think it was my best season for West Ham, and certainly the season in which I've had the least amount of injuries, which was good at my age.

"Now, I'll go away with Wales and hopefully my mid-season form for West Ham might see me get a starting spot."