Real Madrid star Gareth Bale opens up for the first time about his World Cup anguish after Wales failed to qualify
The 28-year-old has claimed that he is now even more determined for his side to qualify for the Qatar finals in 2022
GARETH BALE has opened up for the first time about his World Cup anguish.
And the Wales talisman says the failure to reach Russia this summer makes him even hungrier to qualify for the Qatar finals in 2022.
Bale missed the home defeat to the Republic of Ireland with a calf injury last October, which ended Welsh qualification dreams.
That means Bale, Aaron Ramsey and Co will be on their holidays at the end of the season — rather than trying to repeat their stunning Euro 2016 semi-final exploits.
The Real Madrid superstar, 28, and his team-mates will get a taste of what might have been today when they face World Cup qualifiers Uruguay in the China Cup final.
But £86million superstar Bale could not hide the pain and frustration he suffered watching on as a fan from the stands against the Irish when he spoke about his World Cup devastation.
He said: “It was a massive disappointment for all of us not to reach the World Cup, especially having experienced the Euros, which was incredible.
“We wanted to keep on qualifying for major tournaments.
BALE UNSHAW Jose Mourinho's treatment of Luke Shaw could torpedo United's Gareth Bale move
“It was a massive disappointment for us as a nation but the good thing for us is we take the positives.
“Normally if we do well in one campaign we die away in the next. We were there right until the end.
“I suppose losing and missing out on the World Cup makes us even more hungry to try to qualify for the next campaign.”
Bale, who arrived at the Bernabeu from Tottenham in the summer of 2013, will be 32 by the time the next global finals come around.
Yet he insists he is up for the challenge in helping new Wales manager Ryan Giggs make history — by delivering the holy grail of a first appearance in the World Cup since 1958.
Bale became Wales’ all-time leading goalscorer with a hat-trick in the 6-0 win over hosts China on Thursday, which took him one clear of Ian Rush’s old mark of 28.
He added: “Every single player will tell you they want to play at the highest level for their country and that’s the World Cup or the Euros.
“Not just for me on a personal level but for Wales as a nation.
“We don’t just want to qualify for one or two tournaments, we want to be qualifying for every tournament that we enter. We all need to be pushing in the same direction to make that happen.”
Bale has been linked with a summer move to Manchester United and, while he refused to talk about his club future, he left the door ajar for a permanent move to the Far East.
He said: “In terms of the future I’m not too sure, I haven’t really looked that far to be honest.
“It’s a great country with great people. I’m sure that if I ever did come, I’d be looked after very well.”
Southampton product Bale has won ten trophies at Madrid, including three Champions Leagues, and is desperate to return to Spain with some international silverware.
He added: “It’ll be massive. To win any trophy is always good.
“But for your country it’s that bit more special.
“It’s in your heart and your blood and you want to make the whole country proud. Any tournament, no matter what the competition is, you want to win it.
“It’ll be very high up in my achievements.
“We believe if we play well we can win the tournament. It’ll be great to have more success with Wales.
“I’ll be trying my best for my team, my country to score goals and to help my team win the game.”
Should Wales win, it would be Giggs’ first trophy as a manager to add to the 34 trophies he won during a glittering career with Manchester United.
Giggs, 44, said: “Your playing career can only get you so far.
“You have to do the right things when it comes to coaching — you can’t just rely on what you did in the past. You have to keep on improving to be successful.”
