BALE’S BOAST
‘No Englishman is good enough for Wales team’
Gareth Bale and aaron ramsey continued their bid to wind up england yesterday by claiming not one member of roy hodgson’s side would make it into the Wales team.
Bale appears to be revelling in the verbal sparring ahead of tomorrow’s Group B game in lens and took the opportunity to have another dig when asked how many england players would warrant a place in manager Chris Coleman’s selection.
‘None,’ he replied and he was later backed up by ramsey who, when asked the same question, said: ‘the same as Gareth — none.’
although both laughed, there was a clear edge to their answers, particularly as Bale revealed he was ‘happy’ his previous comments about england had provoked a reaction.
the real Madrid star had said england ‘big themselves up before they’ve done anything’ and that Wales have ‘more passion and pride’ than their neighbours — drawing rebukes
from Hodgson and England midfielder Jack Wilshere.
‘It’s good they’ve bit,’ said Bale. ‘I never said they don’t have passion and pride, I’m sure they do. I just feel in my opinion we have more.
‘Whatever the sport in Wales — rugby, football — we seem to have that next level. You really feel it on the pitch and watching the games.
‘I’m happy with my comments. I feel we have a massive team spirit. The best I’ve seen in teams. I’m just giving my opinion.’
Hodgson insisted Bale’s words were ‘disrespectful’, while Wilshere reacted by saying there is mutual dislike between the countries and declaring that ‘all round, we’re a better team, we’ve got better players’.
But Ramsey supported Bale’s comments about unity in the Wales squad, saying: ‘ We have been through so much together, we have had some really low points, it has made us stronger as a unit. Everybody knows their roles and responsibilities, we give everything and leave nothing out there.
‘The quality is there, we have created history together, hopefully this can continue, we can keep growing and doing well.’
Bale, whose brilliant free-kick in his team’s opening 2-1 win over Slovakia put Wales top of the group, has become a leader of this side as much for his confidence off the pitch as for his performances. That was evident yesterday as he discussed mind games and the pressure on England in tomorrow’s crucial fixture after their disappointing 1-1 draw against Russia.
‘For me, mind games, there aren’t any,’ he said. ‘We just focus on ourselves. Other people like to comment on them. It’s how much you look into it. As a team, as a camp, we don’t listen to anything. We concentrate on ourselves. Nothing is fazing us, we don’t feel any pressure, we are just going to enjoy the occasion. That is the main thing.
‘It’s going to be a derby, a big atmosphere. We know that and are ready for that. We will give 100 per cent. As long as we give everything for our shirt, our nation, we can’t do any more.
‘England have strengths. We know everything about them. They are a very good team but they also have weaknesses. We’ll do our homework and look to exploit those weaknesses.’
Ramsey was also reminded of his Arsenal team-mate Wilshere’s claim that England are the superior side.
‘He’s entitled to his opinion but I believe we have the best team,’ said Ramsey. ‘We’ve been through a lot over the years, thick and thin. We have grown as a team. We’re seeing the rewards of that.
‘We fight for each other, we work our socks off for each other. Everyone saw that in the qualification campaign, and in the first game of the Euros. We believe in ourselves.’
Ramsey is relishing the coming encounter. ‘It is a massive game for me,’ he said. ‘Right up there with some of the biggest games I’ve played in, I’m really excited to be involved. We’re in a good position and hope that can continue.
‘We have to concentrate on our own game. We are all going in the same direction. We are dangerous going forward and create opportunities.’
Wales have not beaten England since 1984, losing the last four fixtures without scoring. Ramsey’s first game as captain came in the 2- 0 defeat at the Millennium Stadium in March 2011 and he also played in the 1-0 loss at Wembley that September in the same qualifying campaign.
He said: ‘Being captain was a nice moment, a proud moment. We were on the wrong end of the scoreline but it was quite early on in the changes that Gary Speed was making. You could see the way we wanted to go about things. That was the start of something.
‘The other one at Wembley we played well and showed the progression we’d made in a short space of time. We were quite unlucky not to get something out of that game, I thought. Robert Earnshaw had a great chance, there were encouraging signs.
‘It’s about time we did beat them. We are top of the group, they got a draw, all the pressure is on them. We are having fun.’