Ryan Giggs says that he would rather play for Wales without success than turn out in the white of England.

Giggs is a former England schoolboy international, but he told reporters that he has never had any desire to go on to win full England honours.

The 28-year-old was born in Cardiff but moved to Manchester with his family when he was a boy.

He would almost certainly be a first choice if he had decided to play for England given the lack of left-sided English players.

"It still bugs me when people ask if I wished I'd played for England - I'm Welsh, end of story," Giggs said.

"It's the question that's bugged me more than any other over the last 10 years."

Giggs' name is often mentioned along with George Best among a group of outstanding individuals who never had the chance to grace a major international finals.

The current Wales team probably represent the best chance for Giggs to change that statistic - particularly after a fine opening win in Finland.

"I'd rather go through my career without qualifying for a major championship than play for a country where I wasn't born or which my parents didn't have anything to do with," he added.