Following Gareth Bale’s announcement that he would be hanging up his boots, Wales manager Rob Page wants the star forward to continue to be a part of the international team.
Bale, a five-time Champions League champion at Real Madrid, called it quits on his illustrious career on Monday after amassing 111 caps and tallying 41 goals for his nation—both records for the men’s squad.
Following Wales’ underwhelming performance at the World Cup in Qatar, where Page’s squad failed to advance out of their group and Bale suffered due to a lack of match fitness, the 33-year-old made the decision to resign.
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Page stated that Bale contacted him on Sunday to let him know that he had decided to retire and that he fully supported his captain’s choice.
“I told him I think it’s the right time to bow out,” he told the BBC.
“You’ve just scored in a World Cup and got everything on your CV, what you’ve done for this country is unbelievable.“
Page revealed that Bale, who was playing for Los Angeles FC in the MLS, would have been selected for Wales’ double-header against Croatia and Latvia, maybe with a role as an impact player off the bench. Wales’ Euro 2024 qualifying campaign gets underway in March.
“There’s a mixture of emotions for me,” he said. “I’m excited now because it’s an opportunity to get some of the young ones through – players like Brennan Johnson to take the opportunity and step up to the plate – and get the next Gareth Bale.
“But there’s also a hint of sadness because it’s the last time we’ll see Gareth Bale putting a pair of boots on for Wales.”
Page said he had spoken with Bale about his 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.”