WE CONN SHINE ON WITHOUT STAR BALE
Roberts keen to prove there’s life after Gareth
CONNOR ROBERTS has urged Wales to start preparing for life without Gareth Bale.
Wales captain and record scorer Bale is sidelined with a hamstring injury sustained in training at Real Madrid, leaving him with 99 international caps and 36 goals for his country.
Bale is out of contract next summer, when he will turn 33, and may seriously consider retirement.
He has previously suggested he may not have many more games left for his country after saying his next target is to get to 40 goals.
Burnley defender Roberts, preparing for Wales’ World Cup qualifying double header against Czech Republic and Estonia, stresses they must learn to cope without their talisman.
And he says whoever gets the nod to replace Bale on the right wing must deliver.
Roberts is also calling on other key players like Spurs defender Joe Rodon
(inset) and Leeds winger Dan James to take more responsibility too.
“We’re without
Gareth this camp and there’s going to be a time when he’s moved on and he’s not playing football anymore,” said
Roberts.
“Gareth’s not going to be around forever. We need other players to step up and now’s the perfect time.
“You can’t replace him. But when he’s not here, we have to play even more as a team, understand certain players and what they’re good at and work towards that.
“We’re going to need everyone playing the best they can on Friday and hopefully we’ll get the win.”
Bale has already made a big impact on Wales’ chances of progressing with his superb hat-trick in Belarus, including a last-gasp winner in the 3-2 triumph.
And from their heroics at Euro 2016 – when they reached the semi-finals – until now, Wales have a 22 per cent greater win ratio with him in the side.
Roberts added: “Gareth Bale is Gareth Bale but we are not going from somebody to literally no one playing right wing.
“We are going to have someone there and it is down to them to play well and prove they can give something to the cause.
“We are not expecting them to have the career or do what Gareth Bale can do. But they need to show what they can do when they get the chance.
“Hopefully I am playing behind them and can help them.
“It is also down to other players now to step up, the likes of Joe Rodon at the back or Dan James coming through. Not just in this game but in the many games to come.”
Roberts hopes to make his first appearance of the season tomorrow in Prague.
He has endured a roller-coaster spell since scoring for Wales against Turkey in the Euros and then injuring his groin – which required an operation – in their last16 exit to Denmark.
It has left Roberts waiting to make his Burnley debut since moving from his local club Swansea on deadline day for £2.5m.
He said: “It has been the most emotional three months of my career by far. The goal against Turkey was the best night of my life.
“Then I had probably the worst moment in football ever. There were plenty of tears after that.
“That last game I played against Denmark seems like an age ago. Leaving Swansea was also incredibly emotional and more tears were shed then. “Now I am back, I feel brand new and want to help whatever team I can, whether it is Burnley or Wales.”