I’LL TREAD ON YOUR DREAMS
Ward ready to put boot in on Bale’s hopes of reaching Russia 2018
STEPHEN WARD is not having any sleepless nights over Gareth Bale and warned the Wales star: We’re your worst nightmare.
Wales will pin their hopes on the Real Madrid man tomorrow night as they look to get their stuttering World Cup campaign back on track against Ireland. But while Ward respects the threat posed by the Dragons’ ace, he reckons life as a Premier League defender will have him well prepared for whatever comes his way. It won’t be the first time the Dubliner has come up against Bale (right), as their paths crossed during their time at Wolves and Spurs respectively. And Roy Keane revealed this week that Ireland do not have a specific plan to deal with Bale, other than urging players to make their mark early on. “Hit him,” was Keane’s message. Last night, Ward said: “I think what Roy means is the game is going to be physical – it’s going to be like an English league game. “I don’t think he means ( for us) to intentionally do it, it’s just to be competitive. We need to get tight on their players. “You cannot afford to give a player of Bale’s quality the space, so we’ll need to be right in his face.” Burnley defender Ward added: “Everyone knows his quality and it’s up to us to keep his effect on the game to a minimum. “They’ve got players who will try and get in the game but he’s the one we’ll have to stop. We’ll be prepared. “I’m sure they will get him on the ball as much as possible so that he can affect the game, so it’s up to us to get bodies around him. “He’s one of the top players in the world but we’ve learned from our experience in the Euros playing the top players. Lads do it every week in the Premier League so we’ll have to try to stop him. It’s a good challenge and one we’re looking forward to. “Any time you play one of the top four in the Premier League you come up against a different style and different type of player – that end of the League is full of quality. “I’ve played against Bale a few times and he was a good player then, but he’s gone on to even greater heights now. “It will probably be a different Gareth Bale we’ll be up against tomorrow night than the one I played against.” Ireland lack a star turn like Bale but it is generally accepted that the strength of Martin O’neill’s squad lies within its collective spirit. But it will be a depleted team facing down Wales with key men like Robbie Brady, Wes Hoolahan, Ciaran Clark and Shane Duffy all missing. Ward said: “I’m sure, if you asked the manager, he wouldn’t mind having a Gareth Bale or a player of that quality in the squad. “But we’ve got some really good players, young players and experienced players, so I’m sure that Wales won’t be taking us lightly.”