January 11 – Wales manager Rob Page wants Gareth Bale to stay involved in the international set-up after the superstar forward announced he was hanging up his boots.
Bale, a five-time Champions League winner at Real Madrid, ended a glittering career on Monday after winning 111 caps and scoring 41 goals for his country – both national records for the men’s team.
The 33-year-old’s decision to quit came following Wales’ disappointing performance at the World Cup in Qatar – their first appearance in the finals for 64 years – when Bale struggled due to a lack of match fitness.
Page said he had spoken with Bale about staying within the Wales set-up, although the exact nature of any potential role remains unclear.
“I would love him still to be involved in some capacity, what that role is I don’t know yet,” he said. “It’s a big adjustment for him, going into a normalish life, but we’ll have another conversation with him in a few weeks.
“We’ll make a plan moving forward because he’s got so much to offer in a changing room and hotel environment.”
“When you have someone of Gareth Bale’s stature, what he’s done for Wales and the impact he can have, even in the changing room just being around the players, then that’s something I’ve got to take advantage of.”
“He’s interested in doing it – in what capacity, we’ll have a chat about a few weeks down the line. That’s something I’m passionate about and I’d like to keep him involved.”
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