WHEN the legends of Wales’ 1958 World Cup campaign returned home having been knocked out in the quarter-finals by Pele many of their compatriots did not even know about their remarkable achievements.

Mel Charles, brother of star man John Charles, recalls returning to Swansea train station to be greeted by a guard who asked him with a cheery smile if he’d been away on his holidays.

It is a different world entirely 58 years on, of course, and there was never any danger of the current squad’s success going under the radar.

Like the players, management and staff, we have been in the Euro 2016 bubble over here in France and however many videos and vines you see of people going nuts in fan zones it is hard to really appreciate the level of excitement that has been generated back home.

But watching the scenes as Chris Coleman and his players were welcomed back to the Cardiff City Stadium yesterday it was clear that they have all become national heroes over the past four weeks and they will remain so for the rest of their days.

I and many of my colleagues missed the grand parade as we attended Coleman’s final press conference at the team base in Dinard yesterday morning.

It is a UEFA requirement that each nation holds an official Exit Press Conference after being knocked out but, with the media centre barely a third full and tables and chairs being packed up around us it was a melancholy ending to what has been a fabulous month for everyone who has experienced it first-hand.

As the mayor of Dinard presented Coleman with a special medal of honour for bringing this small town to the world’s attention there was a definite lump in the throat for more than a few who were watching on.

So, after one final drive along the north Brittany coast and a return ferry from Caen courtesy of Brittany Ferries, it is back to Wales and time to take a break.

Time to drink proper tea, eat something other than croissants and pain-au-chocolat for breakfast, to trim my toenails and my out of control eyebrow hair and…time to check out the Newport County AFC pre-season fixture list and start learning the names of all those new signings!