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"I'm not going to rule anything in or out other than the picture of Tom Jones, which won't be on there, I'm afraid."

As Rhys Phillips is set to become the first Welshman in history to have his signature appear on UK banknotes, he admits he would like to see his homeland represented on the currency.

But - even as the Bank of England's newest chief cashier - he knows there are limits.

While he joked about the possibility of adding a Welsh dragon, daffodil or Sir Tom Jones to the new banknotes, he had to rule out the latter.

"I'm not sure how King Charles would feel about that, being replaced by Sir Tom."

Phillips, who was born in Neath and grew up in Baglan, near Port Talbot, starts his new job on Monday.

The role dates back to 1964 and involves overseeing the design, production and distribution of banknotes, as well as efforts to prevent counterfeiting.

He said it was "an incredible honour" to take on the role and admitted he had been practising his signature, which will be on display for all to see on all UK bank notes as a mark of the Bank of England's backing.

"You've got to get that one right. I think people wouldn't let me forget it if I screwed it up."

He has adapted his usual signature so it is clear and fits the space available, but was still deciding what pen to use for the occasion.

"I hope it'll be somewhat grander than a biro," he said.

Speaking to BBC Radio Wales Drive, he said: "If I'm the first Welshman to hold a role, and I'm told I am, I'm even prouder to be trusted with that responsibility."

Phillips said the job involved much more than putting his name on money - he will lead teams responsible for making sure cash is available where it is needed, as well as developing the next generation of notes.

One of the challenges ahead will be introducing new banknotes featuring British wildlife instead of historical figures as their central images.

The four animals selected following a public consultation involving nearly 500,000 people were the Atlantic puffin, barn owl, buff-tailed bumblebee and European hedgehog.

The new designs will also incorporate security features intended to make the notes harder to counterfeit and are expected to come into circulation towards the end of the decade.

Phillips said, growing up in Port Talbot in the 1990s, "being the man who's responsible for producing money wasn't one of the options that came up when I went to the careers advisor".

But, having always been interested in economics and the role money played in people's lives, he studied the subject at Neath College before going to university.

He began his career at the Financial Services Authority in 2005 and joined the Bank of England in 2012.

Although he will be representing the Bank of England across the UK, Phillips said his Welsh identity remained important to him.

"Where I come from is very important to me. My heritage is a large part of who I am."

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