HAPPY VALLEYS
‘Jekyll and Hyde’ Bale is back with his beloved Wales squad and ready to lead his country as Madrid nightmare goes on
GARETH BALE let his hair down yesterday as he geared up to lead his beloved Wales.
ared s.
Wales’s record scorer has had a smile back on his face this week after linking up with his s internaardiff. international team-mates in Cardiff.
The former Tottenham m star has 33 goals in 83 games for the he Dragons and is idolised in his home me country.
That is in stark contrast trast to his increasingly controversial al spell at Real Madrid, where boss Zinedine Zidane has frozen rozen him out.
Pals of Bale reckon the superstar is like “a new man” on international duty. The difference between his demeanour in Spain and in Wales was summed up by one team-mate who described it as “Jekyll and Hyde.”
Bale was beaming as he trained with team-mates s and unfurled his man-bun before Wales flew out for tonight’s ight’s Nations League game e in Finland.
Bale is due to captain the team for manager Ryan yan Giggs (right) in his first rst game since June 24 after making just 12 La Liga starts in Real’s latest titlewinning campaign. He was omitted altogether from Reals Real’s Champions pions League squad squ for their exit at Manchester Manc City. Madrid’s ex ex-president dent Ramon Calderon Ca has suggested a loan move is the only co compromise mise after claimin claiming Bale is “wasting his time” t at the Bern Bernabeu. But Ba Bale, who joine joined Real in 20 2013, has stoo stood his ground in Spain, where his family are settled. His agent has claimed he is willing to see out the remaining two years of his contract even if he is not selected. But the Welshman, who started his career at Southampton before moving to Spurs in 2007, last night stressed he still loves the game and doesn’t want to be marooned in the stands.
“I want to play football,” said the 31-year-old. “I am still motivated.”
After tonight’s
game in Helsinki, Wales host Bulgaria on Sunday. And Wales keeper Adam Davies expects Bale to add to his tally of goals after claiming his left foot is as deadly as ever. Stoke No.1 Davies, who has faced Bale’s missiles in training, said: “He hits the ball so hard and puts all sorts of movement on it.
“I first thought: ‘ Oh, my God.’ I couldn’t believe what was coming. But after a while you get a bit more used to it.”