WALES defender Chris Gunter insists Chris Coleman’s side aren’t just going to France next summer to make up the numbers, writes Michael Pearlman.

The 63-timed capped defender, who was born and raised in Newport, believes the whole campaign had underlined that the improvements in Welsh football are far from temporary.

And the players are even now ready to embrace the unwanted ‘golden generation’ tag.

“We know the tag is applied now about being a golden generation, but we’ve handled it,” Gunter explained.

“That tag is because qualification hasn’t been done before. But we had no divine right to qualify, we earned the right.

“It’s not just the 90 minutes. From when we first meet up in a camp, everything is always done right.

“It’s important to enjoy everything and make the most of the celebrations, but come the build-up to the tournament, we will be right.

“People will say we are only there to enjoy it, but inside the camp we won’t see it like that.

“We aren’t going to play three games and get knocked out and come home saying ‘wasn’t it great we qualified’ without actually doing anything.

“We’ll enjoy it, but from when we meet up next month, the hard work starts. It’s all about preparing for France.

“We’ve always been confident in ourselves even if we don’t shout about how great we are.

“But I’m sure all the teams over there that we could face will know that we can be a difficult team to play against.

“We wanted to be the first squad to do it (qualify), we know what it means for the legacy of the group and it was a tough thing to do, we haven’t done it for so many years.

“Hopefully this becomes the first of years and years of us qualifying regularly.

“We have so much to look forward to now; it’s a huge thing to be a part of.”

Gunter admits it is hard to try and take in the magnitude of achievement.

“It was a crazy night, I’ve been trying so hard to take it all in,” he said.

“I looked up in the stands after the Andorra game and saw friends and family and what it meant to them.

“It’s more than just a game, the scenes in the dressing room afterwards, seeing what it means, the emotion it brings out of grown men.

“It’s not a recent thing, this is the end of years and years of hard work and it feels incredible.

“I really tried to take it all in. On Thursday we are back at our clubs preparing for another game and that’s it, the night is gone and everyone moves on.

“It’s important to embrace the occasion; the last few days have been some of the best of my life. What we’ve seen, the messages from fans, it means the world to us.”