Spurred on to glory?
HOW BALE FEELING WANTED AT TOTTENHAM COULD BE A BOOST FOR WALES:
GARETH Bale says he feels loved again following his loan switch from Real Madrid to Tottenham.
The 31-year-old fell out of favour under Zinedine Zidane in the Spanish capital and secured a season-long loan switch to Spurs in a bid to get regular game-time under his belt.
After missing the second international break of the campaign due to a knee injury, Bale played the full 90 minutes of Wales’ 1-0 triumph against Republic of Ireland on Sunday.
And he believes he’s edging back to his rip-roaring best having made six appearances for Jose Mourinho’s side since returning to north London.
“It’s nice to be back playing, nice to be at a place where I’m wanted, I feel loved,” he said.
“I’m just getting my fitness back and being back playing is what makes every footballer happy.
“I feel like I’m in a good place at the moment, there’s still more to come, more to improve, and I’m looking forward to it.
“It does take a bit of getting used to, the body getting back into rhythm of playing every few days, you get a little bit more stiff than usual, but the more games I’m playing, the better the body is adapting.
“It’s going to take a little bit of time still, but I’m on right path and I’m enjoying playing again.
“I still need to get a little fitter and sharper, but I’m getting there. It’s been six weeks since I came back.
“It’s just about building up, it takes a bit of time, especially when you’re a bit older, but I’m just excited to get back to full fitness.
“Hopefully it won’t be too long, and then leading into Euros in the summer, that’s where I want to be peaking.”
Bale is expected to captain his country once again when they take on Finland in the Welsh capital tonight. Wales will win group four of League B if they avoid defeat against the Finns.
Finishing first would see the Red Dragons gain promotion into League A for the next edition of the Nations League, while it could also see them secure a play-off spot for the 2022 World Cup should they fail to qualify via the traditional system.
And boss Rob Page admits the carrot of a potential backdoor route into the Qatar tournament is a major incentive for his troops.
“That’s why it’s a big game. It’s for many reasons, but for us to be able to go into the World Cup qualifiers and then, irrespective of where you finish in your group, the worst case scenario, you might still get a play-off place, it means there’s everything to play for,” he commented.
“But we want to finish in style and we want to top the group. The icing on the cake would be to get promotion out of the league as well.”
In a further boost, Page – who will have a fully-fit squad to select from tonight – confirmed that every member of his squad returned a negative coronavirus test ahead of the clash with the Finns.
It comes after James McClean and Matt Doherty both returned positive Covid-19 tests following Republic of Ireland’s 1-0 defeat to Wales at Cardiff City Stadium on Sunday.
On Monday, the Football Association of Wales issued a statement to confirm that they were aware of the latest positive tests to emerge from Stephen Kenny’s squad.
“The Football Association of Wales are aware that two Republic of Ireland players involved in last night’s match have tested positive for COVID-19,” read a statement.
“The National Team’s preparations for Wednesday’s Nations League match against Finland are unaffected and remain as planned.
“The FAW will continue to adhere to Public Health Wales and UEFA guidelines as well as internal protocols which have been implemented since the resumption of international football this year.”
And Page has stressed that Wales’ medical department are happy with the status of their squad at present.
“They’ve had a tough time of it, the Republic of Ireland, with the amount of people who have tested positive,” said Page. “Of course, it’s been a concern for us. We’ve tested the players and all have come back negative thankfully.
“We’ve had a medical team that have watched the game back and there are no concerns at all.
“Over the three camps we’ve had since September, the medical team have worked tirelessly to make sure we’ve got the best care and protocols put in place. We’ve tested negative on three occasions and that’s really good for us.”
Ben Davies is required to serve a one-game ban after picking up his second yellow card of the campaign last time out, meaning he is the only absentee for the visit of Finland, who are without banned Tim Sparv.