Joe Ledley sits back in his chair and smiles broadly at the memory.

The summer of 16 . . . blue skies, Red Wall.

Bordeaux, Toulouse, Paris, and the Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Bale’s free-kicks, Ramsey’s flicks, the thumper from Neil Taylor, Captain Ash and his goal celebrations, Robson-Kanu’s Cruyff turn and the header from Vokes.

Bucket hats and welcome mats, wine and song, Ledley’s famous table-top dance routine and a bouncing team room when England were beaten by Iceland.

“Without doubt, those were the best moments of my entire football career,” says Ledley, a man who scored in the FA Cup at Wembley for his hometown club, Cardiff City, who helped Celtic beat Barcelona in the Champions League, and who roamed the dark lands of midfields in the Premier League.

None of that club stuff compared to the summer of 2016 and Wales’ joyfully incomprehensible march to the semi-finals of the European Championships.

Now, 37 years old, and two years into retirement, the greying temples reflected by the iron fibres in his trademark beard, Ledley knows what that period meant to supporters after decades of yearning, and the transforming effect it had on Welsh football.

But mostly, when he thinks about that tournament, he remembers the feeling of belonging.

“We were a band of brothers, but it also felt like we were on this amazing holiday together.

“It was the time of our lives. Gareth Bale feels the same way, and Aaron Ramsey. We were lucky and we were unlucky in some respects, but I wouldn’t swap what happened for the world.

“It was the most amazing few days. We changed Welsh football.”

A football experience never to be beaten? Possibly. Wales went to the 2020 European Championship finals, but it was a strange tournament, disrupted and delayed by Covid, stupidly split across various countries, and the Dragonhood were bundled out at the last 16 stage, losing 4-0 against Denmark.

Now, though, another Euros is close at hand.  Only this time – just as they had to in order to reach the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Wales must negotiate two play-off matches.

The first is against Finland at the Cardiff City Stadium on March 21, followed – if they get through – by a final play-off versus either Poland or Estonia at the same venue five days later.

“I think they can do it,” says Ledley. “It’s going to be very difficult to win both games, but the biggest factor in their favour, is home advantage in both ties. That’s massive.

“It would be huge if they do it because to get to the finals in a place like Germany could have almost as big an impact as going to France.

“They might not even win a point when they get there, because they would be in a very tough group, but who cares?  The sheer impact on another generation of Wales being at a major finals in a football country like Germany, would be massive.

“I noticed after 2016 that more young kids wanted to play football – girls as much as boys. That was the impact we had, and this summer could spark something similar.”

Ledley may have stopped playing in late 2021, but he remains still very much in touch with the sport he gave himself to in 2004 when he joined Cardiff City as a nine-year-old.

He has done his coaching badges and was in line to work under former Bluebirds manager Mark Hudson a couple of years ago until Hudson was abruptly sacked.

But Ledley now works across TV and radio as a pundit, as an ambassador for the Football Association of Wales, and has recently joined the World in Motion agency where he will be used as a consultant and mentor for young players.

So, he has plenty of first-hand, close-up experience of watching the current Wales squad ahead of the task that awaits them, as well as the wisdom to know what it takes.

“If you look at this Finland fixture, then both teams will fancy it. If you’d told Finland, they’d get drawn against Wales then they’d have jumped at that – snapped your hand off.

“For Wales, Finland is a good draw, too. They are maybe not as strong as some of the others.”

What Ledley believes, though, is that Wales have to improve and expand their tactical approach if they are going to get through, in particular if they are going to beat a team as strong as Poland.

“With Wales at the moment, the structure is a bit off the cuff. The priority is to be solid and then hope for something on the counter-attack.

‘There isn’t much strategy based on us having possession, rather than the opposition.”

This view – that Wales under manager Rob Page – are limited in their ambitions, too preoccupied with defending and nicking a result, is something that has dogged Page ever since his squad made their tame exit at the group stages in Qatar.

It was there in the background when it appeared some within the FAW were plotting to get rid of their manager just as he was still trying to guide them to the finals.

But for Ledley, it is too simple a view to state that Page has limited horizons and should be replaced by someone more “progressive” – the buzzword that seems to be attached to any coach who wears white executive trainers, keeps a well-trimmed hipster beard, and talks a lot about his footballing “philosophy”.

“I actually think Rob Page has done an unbelievable job. If he gets Wales qualified for back-to-back major tournaments – a World Cup and a Euros – then that’s pretty impressive.

“That would put him up there as one of Wales’ greatest ever managers. To do a World Cup, then a Euros would be remarkable.

“The reaction of some fans has surprised me. They need to realise and to understand how lucky we have been. They can’t get too above themselves and start thinking that Wales should qualify for every major tournament, every time.

“If they think qualification is automatic, then they’re wrong. It’s never going to be automatic for Wales. It’s always going to be difficult.

“But then I do take the point that given the quality of player we have in this Wales team, we should be scoring more goals and creating more entertainment. It’s a difficult balance to strike.”

That quality is not abundant across the squad, but it can be seen in certain individuals each week, with the likes of Brennan Johnson, Harry Wilson and, until his loan move to Southampton, David Brooks in the Premier League.

Ledley believes the absence of the injured Aaron Ramsey will not be the fatal blow some have suggested, and regards the finding of room for both Johnson and Kieffer Moore up front is a necessity.

“I’ve always been a big fan of Kieffer Moore, especially in these one-off games. He’s quick, as well as strong, he can leap, and that makes him a defender’s nightmare.

“I would play him, with Brennan Johnson and Dan James on the wings, and Harry Wilson fitting in behind. We can do that if Jordan James and Ethan Ampadu are the holding players in midfield.

“Jordan James has been brilliant.  He has come into that side and made that position his own. He’s also been superb this season for Birmingham.

“But the key man to provide the spark in these ties is probably Brennan Johnson.

“The potential he has on the pitch is frightening. He’s quick, he can finish, and we are just starting to see his talent can transfer to the real top level with Tottenham.

“Wales need to find a way of getting the ball to him more often because the ability is there.

“For me, the perfect scenario would be for Johnson to score the winner and then we are into a likely play-off final against Poland.

“I know they’ve got Robert Lewandowski, but at home? In Cardiff? One game? C’mon! – it’s there for us and I’m getting excited thinking about it already.”