Gareth Bale is 26. He’s also the world’s most expensive player. Real Madrid broke all records to pay €100.8 million to get his services in 2013. Bale is a Galactico among the other Galacticos at Real – he’s won two Champions League titles with them, the Copa del Rey, the Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup.
But when it comes to international duties, he has just over 50 appearances to his name. That’s because, unlike Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi or Wayne Rooney, Bale plays for Wales, a team which has been perennially overshadowed by big brothers England and who played their last (and only) World Cup way back in 1958.
It needn’t have been like this. Bale had the chance to play for England, through his grandmother. But he chose his home country. In 2007, he revealed why: “’My grandmother on my mum’s side is English – but I’m Welsh, it’s as simple as that. I grew up in Cardiff and my uncle played for them. I’ve even got the Welsh flag on my boots. How much more Welsh could I be?”
England would have offered him more chances in global tournaments, but he turned his back on them. Later, his agent revealed that the Real Madrid superstar had missed out on “millions and millions of pounds” by deciding to plump for Wales.
A history of could-have-beens
Welsh football history is littered with perennial near-misses. Their one and only World Cup appearance at the 1958 World Cup came to an end against Brazil in the quarter-finals where a certain 17-year old Pele scored his first ever international goal. And then there was only heartbeak.
In 1993, Wales just needed a win against Romania at home to book a spot in next year’s World Cup. With the score at 1-1, they were handed a penalty with only half an hour to go. But Paul Bodin smashed the vital spot-kick straight into the crossbar. Romania scored with two minutes to go. Wales were dumped.
A decade later, another golden chance arrived. Wales met Russia in the play-offs to decide a place in the Euro 2004. The first leg was scoreless but controversy followed – Russian midfielder Yegor Tirov tested positive for a banned substance. Incredibly, Russia received no punishment except for being told not to play Tirov. They went on to defeat Wales 1-0 in the return leg, a defeat which still rankles with the Welsh.
Wales’s last few years have been bittersweet. They began 2011 with a world ranking of 117, the worst ever in their history. But under the newly appointed Gary Speed, they went on to win four out of five games, making an unprecedented jump to 45th in the rankings, the highest mover.
But the celebrations were short-lived – their beloved manager Gary Speed was found dead in his garage, having committed suicide. A nation wept in unison, having lost one of their favourite sons.
From the darkness comes light
These were dark times for football in the country. Speed’s death left the Welsh football team rudderless – they crashed to a 6-1 defeat against Serbia during their qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup. A 2-1 defeat to Croatia eliminated all hope. Wales had failed to qualify for another World Cup.
When the time for salvation appeared, it was Gareth Bale who delivered it. In their very first Euro 2016 match against Andorra, the Real Madrid star played out of his skin to score two goals. And it kickstarted a resurgence – Wales would just not lose.
Two matches later, he was again in the act, scoring two goals yet again as the Dragons walked all over Israel, winning 3-0. Then, against Belgium, one of the strongest teams in the world, Wales squeaked home with a 1-0 win – the difference being, yet again, Bale’s 25th minute strike.
Ironically, the moment of glory which was so long awaited came in defeat. Wales faced Bosnia and Herzegovina in their penultimate match in October last year and were walloped 2-0, the one and only loss in their qualifying campaign. But somewhat bizarrely, it was they who celebrated at the final whistle, thanks to Cyprus defeating Israel in another group game and thus paving the way for Wales to qualify for Euro 2016, their first global tournament in 46 long years.
Proudly Welsh
It was a campaign built around a simple premise, “Together Stronger”, and no one epitomised it better than Bale who left his superstar status back in Madrid and became the lad from Cardiff for his nation. “When he plays for Wales you can see the passion. When he scores you can see how much it means to him,” said Matthew Ford, a sports fan living in Cardiff. “So often after a game, Bale would be the last player to leave the pitch, walking to the centre circle to clap every stand and say thanks for the support before going down the tunnel.”
Wales have had many great players. There have been plenty of footballers from the small, mountainous country to have charmed hearts worldwide – the great Ian Rush, the Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs, Liverpool and Cardiff hero Craig Bellamy, and many others. But often, as the country floundered on the international stage, the feeling was that these greats often prioritised club over country.
Not with Bale though. “People could see him giving everything he had to the Welsh team,” said Ford. “It didn’t matter how tired he was or how hard the task, he would do whatever it took to get the win. He’s the most expensive player in history, a genuine superstar and for many players, it would be a burden. But you can feel the confidence that playing with Bale gives the rest of the players and fans.”
Now the journey has entered the final and most exciting lap. Wales have been put in a noticeably tough group where they start their campaign against Slovakia on Saturday. Next up is a battle against one of their oldest and fiercest rivals, England. It will not be easy for the Dragons. But with Bale in their midst, they will continue to believe.
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