NEWPORT-born Ryan Jones has seen it all in the past few years - shooting to the top and being part of Wales' Grand Slam winning team in 2005, playing for the British Lions in all three Tests in New Zealand and being laid low by two major shoulder injuries.

He thought he had experienced all the emotions, but he was wrong. There was one more to come, and it happened on Sunday when he received a telephone call from Wales coach Warren Gatland asking him to be the new captain.

"It took me all of five seconds to accept," said the beaming 26-year-old former Newport and Newport Youth lock who was brought up in High Cross before moving with his family down to Swansea and Neath once success took a real hold.

"It's the best honour I could have and I've felt 10ft tall ever since," said Jones, now a formidable number eight who has played just three full games since returning from his latest setback.

But his performance in leading the Ospreys to a terrific victory over Gloucester in the Heineken Cup on Saturday clinched him the Wales captaincy.

"It's a special day for me, it's been another roller-coaster years but a phone call like the one I had yesterday makes it all worthwhile," said Jones.

"There is no prouder Welshman than me. I thought I might have been in with a shout, my private life will no longer be my own but you go in with your eyes open and if we get off to a winning start everything will be rosy.

"At the end of the day I'm a normal guy who is good at rugby, but I'm in a privileged position and it's important to know who your friends are and also have the love of your family.

"There was no-one more disappointed about what happened in the World Cup than the boys, but this is another new era with a fresh outlook.

"We do owe England one and what better way to put it right than win at Twickenham? The previous losses there (Wales have not won there for 20 years) will have absolutely no bearing on what happens next month."

Past captains factfile RYAN Jones is the 126th captain of Wales and the 15th since Rob Howley, now the Wales backs coach, had the job in 1998-99.

Welsh captains since Rob Howley: Kingsley Jones; David Young; Mark Taylor; Scott Quinnell; Andy Moore; Colin Charvis; Martyn Williams; Gareth Thomas; Stephen Jones; Mefin Davies; Michael Owen; Duncan Jones; Dwayne Peel; Gethin Jenkins.

Colin Charvis has captained Wales the most from this list, leading his country 22 times, one more than Gareth Thomas.

Kingsley Jones, Davies, Peel and Jenkins have captained Wales just once.

Warren Gatland is the eighth Wales coach this decade following Graham Henry, Lynn Howells, Steve Hansen, Mike Ruddock, Scott Johnson, Gareth Jenkins and Nigel Davies.

Henry was in charge for 34 internationals, five more than compatriot Hansen. Ruddock and Jenkins both did the job 20 times while Davies was in charge just once.