By Daily Sports Nigeria on December 1, 2022

Gareth Bale dismissed talk of his international retirement as he vowed to ‘keep going as long as I can’ following Wales’ World Cup exit at the hands of England.  

Bale was taken off at half-time with a suspected injury, with his side still in the game at 0-0 after a resolute and organised defensive performance for 45 minutes. 

However, it took just five minutes of second half football for England to take control of the game through Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden as the game quickly ran away from Rob Page’s men in the absence of their leader. 

It meant Wales finished Group B bottom with just one point, in what was their first World Cup appearance in 64 years. 

But Bale refused to add any fuel to the fire that his days at international tournaments with Wales are now over, with his eyes locked on the next European Championships in Germany in 2024.

‘I’ll keep going as long as I can and as long as I’m wanted,’ he told the BBC. 

‘We have a qualifying game starting in March and now a few months away from international football.’ 

He added: ‘Everyone is disappointed but all proud of getting here and doing something no other Wales team has done and how far we have come. 

‘Football is difficult, teams go through good and bad runs and we didn’t live up to our expectations. Going forward we have to look how far we have come.

‘Two years ago we would have pinched ourselves. We all worked really hard to get here but walk out with our heads held high.’

Before Bale went off at the break, his influence on proceedings was minimal.

He managed just seven touches before he watched the second half collapse from the bench.  

Despite a goal in the opening game with USA, Bale has been criticised for his displays with many pointing to a lack of energy and poor work rate in both games prior to Tuesday’s ‘Battle of Britain’.

Source Sporting Sun

Posted December 1, 2022

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