Ashley Williams believes Wales face their biggest home match for 18 months when they host Serbia on Saturday.
The captain has likened the crucial World Cup at the Cardiff City Stadium to the night the team put themselves on the way to Euro 2016 by beating Belgium, 1-0.
That was in June 2015 and Williams has urged fans to create a similar atmosphere of mutual assistance.
“It has a bit of a similar feel to that Belgium game,” said Williams. “We need to give the fans something to get excited about early on. Then we want them to have that same atmosphere to drive us on.
“I still think it was one of my best nights in football. The full house was incredible. Constant singing from the fans. Anyone who was in the stadium knows what I am trying to get across, it was just an unbelievable feeling throughout the game, especially the second half towards the last 20 minutes, when we were tired and cramping up. We gave it our all.
“Normally you are so involved in the game that you don’t take notice of what’s going on in the stands. But when they started to sing the anthem it was so loud that you had no choice but to just stop for a minute and understand what was going on. You realise, it’s something special.
“Then you have that determination to not let the lead slip. I remember at the final whistle Gunts (Chris Gunter) rugby tackled me to the floor and he was emotional. I thought, I’ve never really seen this before on the pitch. That’s when I knew that night would be something I’d always remember.”
With only one guaranteed place at Russia 2018 from Group D, Williams wants more of the same against Serbia, who lead Wales by two points.
“Yes definitely, and against a good team. If we were to win this game we have to do a lot of things right and work as hard as we did that night. We’ll have to stick to our plan like we did that night. If we do that I’m sure we can beat anyone.
“In recent years I think we have always faced up to the challenge, when it was a big one like that, we have responded well. Even in the Euros when we needed one.
“It is not a desperation, not a one-off game where we need to win to qualify, but we understand it is an important game. One we want to win and one that we want to perform well in.”
Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey will start for Wales even though he has only just returned from a hamstring injury suffered on the opening day of the season and not completed 90 minutes since the Euro 2016 last-16 victory over Northern Ireland in June.
The 25-year-old has had only 113 minutes of first-team action for Arsenal since returning from an 11-week lay-off.
But manager Chris Coleman has stressed Ramsey’s importance as Wales attempt to overtake Group D leaders Serbia, saying: “He’s ready and he looks great.
“He’s not played too much football for Arsenal but, of course, he’s going to start the game as we sit here now.
However long he’ll last, physically, we don’t know. But we do know he’s generally probably one of the fittest players playing football.
“Looking at the last two months, we have to see where he’s at. But he’ll start the game.”
Ramsey was one of Wales” stand-out players as they reached the semi-finals of Euro 2016 and was named in the official team of the tournament.
He was suspended for the semi-final defeat to Portugal and Coleman admits Wales have missed him during their opening three World Cup qualifiers.
Wales beat Moldova in their opening game before October draws against Austria and Georgia left them two points adrift of Serbia.
“Being without him for the first three games was a blow for us,” Coleman said. “It would be a blow for anyone, because when our games come around they are huge challenges.”
Ashley Williams has called on fans to recreate the unforgettable atmosphere that powered Wales to victory over Belgium 17 months ago for Saturday night”s visit of Serbia to the Cardiff City Stadium.
The Wales captain believes this World Cup qualifier carries the same importance as that encounter against a side then ranked No 2 by FIFA and has fondly recalled how his team-mates were spurred during final stages of the 1-0 win by an impromptu chorus of the national anthem.
Gareth Bale scored an early goal and Wales then defended resolutely but required a late boost from the stands with cramp setting in. Williams believes that ground-breaking night in June 2015 provided the confidence for Wales to go on and reach the semi-finals of Euro 2016.
