Wales
Shane Williams sets sights on coaching Wales
ESPN Staff
November 6, 2014
Legendary winger Shane Williams bids farewell to the game, Wales v Barbarians, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales, June 2, 2012
Shane Williams was meant to retire in 2012 only to have a change of heart © Getty Images
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Shane Williams will hang up his boots for good at the end of the Mitsubishi Dynaboars' season and is keen to pursue a coaching career.

Williams was set to retire from the game in 2012 but he was tempted back into action by an offer from Japan. Since his move to the Far East Williams has been spending time coaching as well as playing and he is now ready to draw on those off-field experiences to focus full-time on management.

"One of the reasons it was great for me to start in Japan was because I knew I wasn't going to be the best in the world immediately," Williams told the Daily Telegraph. "I wanted to develop myself as a coach, find out what my strengths and weaknesses were. It is not easy coaching in Japan.

"First of all, you don't speak the language. The culture is very different. You very much have to show them what you want them to do. It was learning the fundamentals, going back to scratch, learning how to pass, how to tackle, and then going from there. I would like to think it has made a difference."

And Williams, who won 87 caps for Wales, is hopeful of one day coaching the national side.

"Whenever I do something I want to be the best," Williams said. "I'd like to be [Wales coach], I know it's a tough job. It would be nice to do it one day because I love Welsh rugby and I'll keep loving Welsh rugby even after I finish playing. I'd like to do something with Wales in the future as a coach or something else."

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