Wales striker Kieffer Moore believes he is an easy target for referees at Euro 2020 because of his size.
The 6ft 5in Cardiff striker was on the bench for Wales’ final group game in Rome as he was on a booking, and manager Robert Page was aware another yellow card would rule Moore out of their last-16 tie against Denmark on Saturday.
Moore was eventually sent on with Welsh backs to the wall and an attacking outlet needed following Ethan Ampadu’s 55th-minute dismissal, but Page told the forward “to jump with no arms” against Italy.
“When referees look at my stature and my height, I’ve kind of made it to be an easy target,” Moore told Sky Sports News.
“If opponents go down, realistically I haven’t probably touched them, but they’ve thrown themselves to the floor and it looks like I have.
“It’s also about me taking myself out of those situations and look like I’m not doing that really.”
Moore has scored six goals in 20 games since making his Wales debut in September 2019.
The 28-year-old’s arrival on the international scene helped Wales turn around their Euro 2020 qualifying campaign and reach this summer’s delayed cross-continent tournament.
Moore also scored in the opening 1-1 draw against Switzerland, a match in which he was booked for catching Fabian Schar in the face with a stray elbow.
Skipper Gareth Bale implored Moore to avoid a booking when he came on for the final half-hour at the Stadio Olimpico.
Asked about modifying his jump, Moore said: “I did do that, but jumping without the arms is very hard.
“In a way, I had to get through to not get yellow carded. It’s all about adapting, if I can not get another yellow card I’ll be happy to keep trying to do that.”
The Wales squad left their Rome base for Amsterdam on Thursday and a third country visited at Euro 2020.
If Wales do beat Denmark at the Johan Cruyff Arena, they will return to Baku – where they played their opening two matches – for a quarter-final against Holland or the Czech Republic.
Wales fans are not permitted to travel to Amsterdam due to travel restrictions, and Moore said: “You can feel we’ve been hard done by.
Denmark in Amsterdam.— Wales 🏴 (@Cymru) June 21, 2021
“But for us obviously finding out the semi-final and final is at Wembley, that’s more of an incentive than ever for us to see if we can reach those heights and get Wales fans back in there.
“The whole experience has been amazing. It’s just a whirlwind of a tournament and to get through the way we did was amazing.
“I’m loving every minute of it and I want us to keep going.
“I don’t want to go home yet.”
