JOSH Sheehan finally closed the book on his season by playing 90 minutes for Wales in their 4-0 friendly defeat to Slovakia.
The midfielder won a seventh international cap in Trnava in what was his 57th game of the campaign but could not stop Wales falling to their heaviest defeat in four years.
The result heaps further pressure on manager Rob Page, who after being jeered by his own fans in a humiliating goalless draw against minnows Gibraltar last week was once again targeted with chants for him to be removed from the job.
Sheehan was involved in Wales’s best chance to score, swinging a free-kick in for Kiefer Moore to head goalward just before half time only for Newcastle United keeper Martin Dubravka to make an excellent save.
Not long after that, the hosts went ahead when Juraj Kucka tucked a shot past the unsighted Danny Ward.
Sheehan was one of just four survivors from the side that laboured against Gibraltar but the captaincy was switched to Ethan Ampadu.
The Leeds United man was beaten to the punch by Robert Bozenik for the second shortly after the restart and then unknowingly put the ball into his own net after deflecting Lukas Haraslin’s acrobatic effort.
The hosts, who now head to Germany to begin their Euro 2024 group against Belgium, were well in control for the rest of the game and added a fourth in added time through Laszlo Benes.
Page faces an uncertain future with Wales’s Nations League campaign due to get underway in September.
“They [fans] want me out. I completely understand. I’ve got to stay true to myself and focused on the job in hand. Everything else is out of my control,” Page told BBC Sport Wales.
“I clapped them with the players and when the players walked, I made a point of going over to the supporters and saying ‘it’s on me’. I get the frustration.
“[I feel] low, disappointed, of course. I’m human at the end of the day and nobody wants to fail.”
Wales lost a penalty shootout against Poland to miss out of the Euros, after which Page began a process of rebuilding the team with younger players.
The growing dissatisfaction from supporters could now force the FAW into action.
“The form coming into it has been all right but when you draw against Gibraltar and you get beaten with the goals we have tonight, questions are going to be asked. I completely understand that,” Page said.
“I’m just focused on what I need to do. This camp served its purpose – to play a different formation – and we plan now for September.”
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