MY ACCOUNT
Gareth Bale returning to Cardiff to play for his hometown club “ticks all the boxes” according to Wales boss Robert Page.
Bale’s contract at Real Madrid will expire at the end of this season, with only two games remaining for Los Blancos – Friday’s home game against Real Betis to end the LaLiga season, before next Saturday’s Champions League final with Liverpool.
While speculation around a potential retirement should Wales fail to qualify for the World Cup persists, he would likely need to find a new club in the event they progress past Scotland or Ukraine in June’s playoff.
In response to rumours of a move to Cardiff for Bale, Page asserted that is simply feels right but respects his captain’s right to make his own decisions after the playoff.
“It ticks all the boxes,” he said. “Ultimately, it’s Gareth’s decision and Cardiff City’s.
“I think he’s right to say ‘Let’s throw full focus on to the fifth [of June]. Let’s get there first and have that discussion.
“We can carry on talking about it and guess, have our opinion, and it does make sense. It makes a lot of sense. He can base himself at a training ground he’s familiar with.”
Bale has made a solitary appearance in LaLiga since February, coming on as a substitute late in the second half of Real Madrid’s win over Getafe in April.
He has been sidelined with back problems since, with Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti even revealing it immobilised him at times.
The 32-year-old was named in Wales’ 27-man squad for the June window, which includes four Nations League games, but could join camp if he is not named in Madrid’s Champions League final squad.
“We will keep in touch with him,” Page said. “It’s common sense that if he is not going to feature at all, and Real Madrid are happy with releasing him, then of course we would like him on camp.
“They don’t have to. We don’t have the players [officially] until the 30th, so we can’t pull rank on that.
“We just have to go with what they suggest. Rightly so because he’s employed by the club, but if there’s an opportunity to get players in earlier then we would like that.”
