Rob Page, Wales coach: “I talk to Bale and adapt the training sessions”

All the misgivings that Gareth Bale arouses when talking about his performance and attitude at Real Madrid turn into deep praise when it comes to his commitment to his national team. A determination that is valued by his own coach, Rob Page, who in an interview at the Daily Mail again breaks a lance in favor of the madridista player.

The coach defends the fundamental role that Bale has in the Wales team and that leads him to schedule training sessions based on the white attacker’s form: “Gareth deserves all the credit for what he does with us. We have contact before each concentration and I ask him what he needs. Same with Aaron Ramsey. And I adapt the workouts. I do want to do an attacking session one day, but I don’t have them available, so I’ll train defense. When I train the attack, I need to have my two fundamental players there.”

Page regrets that Bale does not enjoy more minutes with Real Madrid, a circumstance that he resents when he has to defend the shirt of his team. “When Gareth reached 100 caps in November, his cufflink was rolled up after 20 minutes. Not playing takes its toll on you. That worries me. Training sessions don’t replicate match time, so you have to give him credit for how he somehow manages to do that with us.”

Page, coach since last November, criticizes the treatment that Bale receives in Spain and describes him as a normal and close guy with his teammates. “He is a disgrace. What is about him is appalling, but that man has a mental strength that I have never seen before. He is the most positive guy you will meet. When Sorba Thomas first came to the national team in November, Garteh was there, supervising him and talking to him. Sorba’s eyes were as wide as saucers. He was dazzled that Bale had time to devote to him. Gareth is a very normal guy. We’re lucky to have him.”

Bale has played 290 minutes this season with Real Madrid and 324′ with his national team. In June, they will face the winner of Scotland-Ukraine in the last round of the World Cup play-off in search of a historic classification: Wales’ first participation in a World Cup since Sweden 1958.