Chris Coleman's status as a national hero was secured when Wales qualified for its first major football tournament since the 1958 World Cup.

But Wales' success at Euro 2016 - where they play Portugal on Wednesday for a place in the final - means he will go down as the greatest-ever manager of a country which counts Jimmy Murphy and John Toshack among its former bosses.

It represents a remarkable turnaround in fortunes for a man who, by his own admission, struggled to cope with the unique circumstances in which he became Wales manager in January 2012.

The death of his great friend Gary Speed had created the vacancy, but the deep wounds in Welsh football took time to heal and Coleman almost became a casualty of that grieving process.

But Coleman stuck it out to add the greatest chapter to a colourful career which began as a homesick teenager at Manchester City and has taken in European adventures in Spain and Greece along the way.

The journey was almost stopped in its tracks so much did he pine for his Swansea roots, but his hometown club offered him football sanctuary after life in Manchester turned sour.

Four years at Swansea provided invaluable experience and, be it at left-back or centre-half, he went on to play nearly 400 games for Crystal Palace, Blackburn and Fulham.

Coleman also won 32 caps for Wales, but his playing career was effectively ended when he suffered multiple fractures to his right leg in a car accident in January 2001.

Coaching offered an opportunity to stay in football, first joining Fulham's coaching staff under Jean Tigana and then succeeding the Frenchman as caretaker-manager in April 2003.

Coleman steered them away from relegation danger, but Mohamed Al-Fayed's decision to put a 32-year-old in permanent charge of a Premier League team raised plenty of eyebrows.

Yet Fulham finished ninth, 13th and 12th under Coleman's command before he was sacked in April 2007 with the club in relegation bother again.

Coleman's next move was a bold one as he headed to Spain and Real Sociedad, the club's former manager and fellow Welshman Toshack having recommended him for the job.

But it was a short-lived six-month affair and Coleman's managerial stock plummeted as spells at Championship club Coventry and Greek outfit Larissa brought little cheer.

Coleman was overlooked for the Wales job when Speed succeeded Toshack in December 2010.

But little more than a year later he was in charge of a young group of players who carried the label of the 'Golden Generation' but were in shock following the death of their popular manager.

Reluctant to put his own stamp on the job for fear of hurting the progress made under Speed, results were poor and morale was low.

A crushing 6-1 defeat in Serbia - on a night when Coleman took the full brunt from angry Welsh fans - was the turning point as he promised to manage in his own style.

Ashley Williams was made captain to allow the 20-year-old Aaron Ramsey to focus on his own performance.

The 46-year-old showed his tactical flexibility in Euro 2016 qualifying, with Wales as comfortable with a back four or a back five and a game plan devised to get the best out of Gareth Bale's burgeoning talents.

Players who had laughed together and cried together now had the necessary experience to end Wales' 58 years of hurt.

Belgium, ranked second in the world, were vanquished in Cardiff and Coleman's men emulated the 'Class of '58' in qualifying for a major tournament.

Coleman signed a new two-year deal in May and his players then eclipsed John Charles and company by surpassing their achievement of reaching the World Cup quarter-final.

Who knows where this incredible journey will now end for Wales, or for their manager who should not be short of offers when his stint is over.