Danny Murphy insists Gareth Bale still has plenty left in the tank after he stormed off mid-interview when asked if he was going to retire following Wales’ 4-0 defeat to Denmark.
The Danes emphatically knocked the Welsh out of Euro 2020 at the last 16 stage thanks to a brace from Kasper Dolberg and late goals from Joakim Maehle and Martin Braithwaite.
Bale hinted before the tournament started that he could hang up his boots once it’s over as he promised a big announcement when it was over.
But when the Real Madrid man was asked about his future at the final whistle, he walked off midway through the interview and refused to answer the question.
(Image: BBC One)
Will Gareth Bale retire this summer or does he still have plenty to offer club and country? Comment below
Murphy feels he’s still got plenty to offer club and country, however, and the Euros proved that he’s far from finished after helping Wales reach the knockout round.
The pundit told the Daily Mail: “There will be a lot of talk about what happens next to Bale. He has promised an announcement of some type after Euro 2020. Personally, I think he’s shown enough, in his last couple of months at Spurs and during these championships, that he’s far from finished at 31.
“Give him the right club and manager and legs around him, and he’s still got a lot to offer. If I was Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid, I’d be eager to see him back at pre-season training and prepared to give him a chance. Bale made a great start to Saturday’s game. He looked sharp and so did Wales. But Denmark had the experience to withstand the early pressure and the quality to take their first chance that effectively decided the game. It was a sublime finish from Kasper Dolberg.
“For Wales, they should hold their heads high and go again. And that goes for Bale as well. To retire now would be a real shame because he can still contribute at a high level.”
Bale later clarified his future, however, and suggested that he wants to prolong his international career.
He said: “I want to continue to play,” Bale told S4C shortly after terminating a previous interview when asked about his international future.
“People ask stupid questions all the time but I obviously love playing for Wales.
“I will play for Wales until the day that I stop playing football.”
