Rob Page reflects on Wales legend Gareth Bale’s career after retirement

Rob Page has spoken of his admiration and gratitude to Gareth Bale, as the Welsh legend called time on his career yesterday.

Bale announced to the world on Monday afternoon that he had retired from all forms of football with immediate effect.

Wales manager Page received news of his retirement on Sunday.

‘It was a brief conversation on Sunday’

‘Me and Gareth speak quite a bit anyway between camps, so it wasn’t unusual, and I got a text message from him asking for a quick conversation.

‘So, I got home, phoned him, and he said he’d made the decision to retire. He had just told LAFC and before he wanted to announce it and tell everyone else, he gave me a ring and told me he was retiring from football completely, which did come as a surprise at that moment in time’

‘I wasn’t expecting that from him in that phone call. But when you take a step back and strip the emotion out of it, I get it, I understand why he’s done it. For him to finish at the top of his game, I completely understand it.’

After the shock had settled, Page was glowing in his praise for what Bale has not only done for the Welsh team, but for Wales as a nation.

‘He’s put Wales on the map globally, with what he’s done in European football with Real Madrid. What he’s done in the Premier League with Tottenham when he first started off and then in the World Cup’

‘From a cultural point of view and Wales in general, everyone should be very proud of what he’s done for us’

‘He’s so proud whenever he puts that jersey on. He’s the first one in the building, he’s a credit to himself and his family in the way he conducts himself around the group and with the younger players when they come into camp and how he looks after them’

‘Of course he’ll be missed and it’s not the news that we wanted to start the year but we all knew it was going to come one day but we didn’t know when that day was going to come.’

It’s always been visible to any Wales supporter that the respect between Bale and Page has been unwavering.

Page of course took over the role in difficult circumstances, but says Bale was brilliant with him, and reminded him of his captain when he played for Wales, Gary Speed.

‘When you’ve got a group of players who conduct themselves in the manner in which they do and they take care of that, it makes my job as a manager easy, I can just focus on the football side of it. I want to thank him for that, for being the person he’s been and managing that environment’

‘I liken him to when Gary was my captain, you’d turn up on camp, some of the young players turn up and he treats them the same as he would Aaron or Joe Allen or Chris Gunter’

‘Wherever you play, whatever level, you’re all equal, there’s no ego there, and he drove that environment.’

Attention now turns to a Bale-less Wales side and the issue of the captaincy.

Numerous names have been banded about by fans and media alike about who should take the armband, but Page has made his decision already.

‘It’ll come as no surprise when it’s announced, but we’ve got a good group of players and senior players who all lead by example, but there’s one that stands out for me’

‘We’ve already pre-empted this, about when this comes what do we do. I wouldn’t want to announce it now but there will be a right time and a place to do it.’

As for Bale and what he will do, Page believes he will continue his unbelievable ambassadorial work and spend time with his loved ones.

‘I’ve said this before about Gareth and this is where my back gets up about the unjust criticism he receives, especially from the Spanish press at times, the work he does for charity and some of the golfing projects that he’s got that he gives back into the sport is incredible’

‘I think he’ll throw his whole focus into that for the time being. He wants to spend time with his family, he’s got another interest in golf and why not go an enjoy yourself. He’s earned the right to do it.’