Coleman Believes Bale will Stay

Chris Coleman believes Gareth Bale will stay at Real Madrid - and that Wales will benefit from the forward’s decision. The 26-year-old has been linked with a move to Manchester United but Wales manager Coleman is convinced Bale’s future lies with the Spanish side.

Coleman, speaking after the Russia 2018 World Cup qualifying draw in St Petersburg, said: “Gareth will do what he wants to do, he’s good enough to play for any team on the planet but I think he will probably end up staying at Madrid and who would blame him for that?

“There is pressure in playing for Real Madrid but Gareth is one of those players who can handle that. The demands of playing in the Premier League and the demands of playing in La Liga are different. From our point of view we get a fresh Gareth Bale – if he’s in the English Premier League physically it’s more demanding.”

Coleman also rejected claims that Bale’s contribution to Wales is so great that they are effectively a one-man team.

“No one has ever said that to me and anyone who has ever seen us play would not say that. We have a lot of talent in our team, all our success has been down to a team ethic and Gareth fits into that. We are difficult team to play against, we are hard to break down and we have goalscorers and match-winners.

“We have also got a group of 11 players on the pitch who are prepared to defend for their lives. If you look at our record in this European campaign so far we have conceded one penalty and one free-kick. You can’t be a one-man team with a defensive record like that.”

Read more

Wales’ only appearance in the World Cup finals was in 1958, but they were drawn as top seeds in Group D along with the Republic of Ireland, Austria, Serbia, Moldova and Georgia.

Coleman, who added he would focus on qualifying for Euro 2016 in France before thinking about a new deal to take him through to Russia, said: “It’s a long time isn’t it? First and foremost we have got to take care of qualifying for France. After we know our fate with France we can start concentrating on the World Cup but we know it has been a long time since 1958 and we know we have got a lot of work to do in the Euros yet.

“It’s been widely-publicised my contract is coming up at the end of the Euros and we are all just keeping our eye on that tournament because we can’t afford to start thinking too far ahead. There is a lot of work to be done and once we know our fate we can start thinking about everything else.”

Related articles

• Coleman: bale will stay with real
• Manchester United transfer update: Louis van Gaal planning Gareth Bale move and Bayern Munich star linked
• Manchester United FC launch fresh £100m bid for Gareth Bale - reports
• PSG agree deal for Manchester United's Di Maria, Mourinho blocks Chelsea's Mikel sale - Sunday's top transfer stories
• Chris Coleman: 'Gareth Bale should stay with Real Madrid'
• Sunderland transfer targets: Black Cats linked with Sweden winger Abil Bahoui, who is heading for Al-Ahli

Bellamy Ends Wales Days

Getty Images

Craig Bellamy has confirmed he is to retire from international football.

The Cardiff City player will bow out after the upcoming Wales World Cup qualifiers against Macedonia and Belgium.

Bellamy, 34, has won 76 caps for Wales and scored 19 goals during a 15-year international career.

"Players come and go and my career has definitely come and gone," the former Coventry, Newcastle and Liverpool striker said.

"I have to do what's best for the national team and this group of players are the future. The next qualifiers, two-odd years, I'm not going to see it."

He said the current set of talented younger players gave Wales a better chance of qualification for Euro 2016.

"They have to have a better opportunity of qualifying. I have to cut myself short," he said.

Friday's penultimate World Cup qualifier against Macedonia at Cardiff City Stadium is set to be Bellamy's final Wales appearance on home soil.

And it could be his final cap if he picks up a second yellow card which would see him miss Tuesday's qualifier against Belgium in Brussels through suspension.

He was penalised the first time in Wales' 3-0 defeat by Serbia on 10 September.

Bellamy says he will not play in the friendly against Finland at Cardiff City Stadium on 16 November.

Former Wales captain Bellamy will go down as one of his country's greats. He is the third most-capped Welsh player of all time and is fifth on the all-time scorers' chart with 19 goals.

"I'm just grateful for every game I've been lucky enough to play for my country, and I really mean that," Bellamy added.

"It's an honour to play for your country at any level at any sport.

"[Playing] 70-odd times, it's been the best. Even the disappointments, even the lows, even the times I didn't want to play again because sometimes defeats can do that to you.

"Seventy-odd times having that honour like singing the anthem… it's still the best and Friday will be the best and hopefully I will get the chance to do it again on Tuesday. [It] will be hard to let go.

"My daughter will probably come out with me [before the Macedonia game] but it will probably hit me more after it... when you're watching the team."

Bellamy made his debut as an 18-year-old in a friendly against Jamaica in March 1998, replacing Gareth Taylor during the second half of a goalless draw at Ninian Park.

He scored his first international goal against Malta two months later and scored the winner in a Euro 2000 qualifier against Denmark in October 1998.

His most famous goal for Wales was the winner in the famous 2-1 victory over Italy in a Euro 2004 qualifier at the Millennium Stadium in October 2003, a game Bellamy considers his best moment in a Wales shirt.

One of his most memorable games for Wales came when he scored twice in a 5-2 win in Slovakia in September 2007, a display which then manager John Toshack as a "scintillating performance".

Bellamy, whose spell as captain of the national team was during Toshack's reign in 2007 to 2011, also represented Great Britain at the 2012 Olympic Games.

He came close to retiring from international football following the death of Wales manager and close friend Gary Speed in November 2012.

But the Cardiff-born forward, who played in Speed's memorial match against Costa Rica in February 2012, decided to prolong his international career under new manager Chris Coleman.

However the former Manchester City frontman hinted the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign would be his international swansong.

He has even suggested he could retire from football altogether at the end of the season, when his current deal with Cardiff City expires.

Bellamy revealed in June his ambition to manage Wales and Cardiff City in the future but added he had a long way to go before stepping into management.

Factfile

Born: 13 July 1979, Cardiff

Clubs: Norwich City, Coventry City , Newcastle United, Celtic (loan), Blackburn Rovers, Liverpool (two spells), West Ham United, Manchester City, Cardiff City (two spells)

Wales debut: v Jamaica in 1998

Wales caps: 76

Wales goals : 19

Related articles

• Craig Bellamy: 'Aaron Ramsey is better than ever'
• Craig Bellamy hints at retirement
• Paul Abbandonato: Welsh warrior Craig Bellamy has big Cardiff City call to make
• Blakey's Bootroom Live 1pm: Latest debate as Cardiff City suffer defeat at Newcastle and bonus row emerges
• Bellamy to decide on future - Mackay
• Coleman 'not judged' on next games

Wales Bale Out for Safety

Getty Images

Wales manager Chris Coleman says he was not prepared to risk Gareth Bale in their 2-1 defeat away by Macedonia.

World-record signing Bale was named on the bench for the World Cup qualifying loss in Skopje, which finally ended Wales' slim hopes of making the finals.

But despite that, Coleman said Bale's lack of match fitness after injury meant he was never going to play.

"We cannot risk Gareth Bale or any of our players, we've got to send them back to their clubs," Coleman said.

"He's only probably trained three or four times in the last two months.

"He's such an athlete and he wanted to come. He came the evening of his unveiling in Madrid, he's trained the next day, he's trained three days - he's not ready.

"We can't take that risk. If he comes on and, God forbid, anything happens, then how is that building a relationship with Real Madrid?

"We know we need to win the game but we're also looking at the bigger picture.

"We can't be sending back players injured because we're taking chances - it's not fair on them."

Wales now need to beat Serbia in Cardiff on Tuesday to maintain any hope of claiming third place in Group A, which would boost their seeding when the draw for Euro 2016 qualification is made.

Coleman said there was an outside chance Bale could come off the bench against Serbia.

"He's never going to be ready to start, it's as simple as that," Coleman said. "The fact he's turned up and is trying to be fit for us is such a huge positive and if he's ready then he may play a part.

"We'll see how he reacts between now and Tuesday."

Coleman, who suffered the embarrassment of arriving late in Skopje on Thursday after missing the team flight from Cardiff because of a lost passport, said he regretted a missed opportunity to beat Macedonia.

Ivan Trickovski had given Macedonia the lead after a deflected free-kick fell kindly, but Wales fought back through an Aaron Ramsey penalty he won himself.

However, sloppy play on the edge of Wales' own area let Aleksandar Trajkovski snatch a late winner for the home side.

"I'm gobsmacked really. You know anything can happen and you get nervous but I was very confident," said the Wales boss.

"Even when we went 1-0 down there was a feeling about us and an atmosphere about us that was positive and I felt that we were going to win the game.

"[Craig] Bellamy hits a post, Ramsey sticks a penalty in and we were always the one in the ascendency. Half-time came too quickly for us.

"What's missing at the minute is really sticking the knife into teams when we're on top and finishing them off."

Related articles

• Macedonia 2-1 Wales: Gareth Bale is an £85m unused sub as late strike denies Dragons
• Not right to risk Bale, says Coleman
• Macedonia 2 - 1 Wales: Gareth Bale stays on bench as Chris Coleman's side slump to defeat
• Chris Coleman: 'I didn't consider playing Gareth Bale'
• Bale sees Wales slip to defeat
• Macedonia 2 Wales 1 : Welsh qualification hopes shatter with a costly defeat

Coleman Sensitive to FA Wales Role

Chris Coleman says he would relish the opportunity to be Gary Speed's successor as Wales manager.

Former defender Coleman, 41, was interviewed for the position during the process that resulted in Speed's appointment in December 2010.

"If you're asked to coach or manage your country then it's an honour," said Coleman, who has resigned as manager of Greek side Larissa this week.

"If that phone call takes place then of course I'm happy to accept it."

Coleman has walked away from his job as manager of second division side Larissa because of financial problems, but he stressed the timing was "purely coincidental" in relation to Wales' search for a new manager.

The Football Association of Wales has assembled a six-man panel, led by president Phil Pritchard, to appoint Speed's replacement.

No discussions have taken place with any potential candidates, according to the FAW, and chief executive Jonathan Ford has said it is "too early" to say whether an appointment will be made before the friendly with Costa Rica in Cardiff on 29 February.

Ryan Giggs has been suggested as a contender, while Speed's assistants, Raymond Verhaijen and Osian Roberts, are keen to retain their roles and have received backing from Gareth Bale and other members of the squad.

Coleman, who has won support from former Wales midfielder Mickey Thomas, suggested that he would be willing to work alongside the pair if he took over.

"Any manager going to any new job has to put his own stamp on it," he said.

"Don't get me wrong. If it ain't broke, you don't fix it but everybody has a little tweak here and there.

"You'd want your own people with you and, if there are people already in place doing a good job, you have to sit down and consider all the possibilities.

"Whoever takes the job will make their own mind up on what they want and what they don't want, and continue from there."

Roberts has urged the FAW to make a prompt appointment in order to facilitate the preparation work needed for the start of the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign in September.

Coleman, who won 32 caps for Wales, says he appreciates the delicacy of the situation following Speed's death in late November 2011.

"Gary put his stamp on it, said Coleman, who played alongside Speed for Wales. "So whoever gets the job has big boots to fill.

"It's more sensitive for me because he was one of my closest friends in football and I still can't get my head around the whole situation, if I'm honest. I'm sure a lot of other people are the same.

"So it is quite sensitive. It's difficult for the FAW also because, if they wait too long, they are not being proactive but, if they appoint someone too quickly, they haven't waited long enough.

"So they're in a difficult position. I think everyone understands that. They've been very professional in the situation.

"But, if you get a phone call when you're an out of work manager, you can't be too choosey."

Factfile

Born 10 June 1970 in Swansea

Won 32 caps for Wales

Played for Swansea City, Crystal Palace, Blackburn Rovers and Fulham

Went on to manage Fulham, and later at Real Sociedad, Coventry City and Larissa