BALE RIGHT AT HOME WITH GREATS
GARETH BALE has the chance to cement his reputation as one of British football’s all-time greats on Saturday night.
That is the view of former England striker Gary Lineker, who will host BT’s coverage of what could be a Champions League homecoming for Bale.
The Welsh wizard is back in training and desperate to return from a calf injury in time to help Real Madrid take on Juventus in the Cardiff final.
Lineker said: “I’m sure he really wants to be part of this game, in his home town. He’s had his share of injuries this season, which is a shame.
Ability
“But overall at Real Madrid, he’s proven himself as a world-class player. Hopefully he’ll play some part.
“I’d put him right up there with the best British players of all time. He’s certainly got to be in the top 10.
“You can only really judge people you’ve seen in your time. I didn’t catch much of George Best and Bobby Charlton but obviously they’d have to be right up there.
“In my time, Kenny Dalglish I would certainly put in there.
“Bryan Robson – but again he suffered a bit with injury.
“Glenn Hoddle, if he’d been playing for a different country. Gazza nearly. In terms of ability certainly but he struggled with injuries so much that it impacted his overall career.
“I’d put Peter Beardsley in purely for selfish reasons because he was so good for me.” Bale, 27, has already won five trophies in four years at Real and is hoping to land his third Champions League winner’s medal at the Principality Stadium.
Lineker said: “He’s won a lot of things, he’s helped Wales be more successful than they’ve been in a long time, than ever probably. He is playing for one of the giants of world football and he’s still in his prime.
“You have to prove at some point you can do it where it really counts. To do it in games of that importance just shows he’s got what it takes mentally as well.
“He’s had a brilliant time at Real. He’s realised the potential we all saw in him.”
Despite all his successes in Madrid, Lineker can see Bale returning to play in the Premier League one day.
He said: “It wouldn’t surprise me. It’s quite a volatile club, Real Madrid. You can be very quickly out of favour.
“He could come back to English football. It could even happen this summer. But I doubt it.”