Gareth Bale shows Wales commitment as he trains four hours after 7,500-mile journey to China
Real Madrid ace catches three flights in mammoth trek to link up with international team-mates as he looks to impress new boss Ryan Giggs
GARETH BALE showed his commitment to Wales by training inside FOUR hours after making a near 7,500-mile trip from Madrid to China.
The Real Madrid superstar took THREE flights to join in the first session under new boss Ryan Giggs at the Guangxi Sports Centre in Nanning.
Bale, 28, made the dash from Spain on Sunday night after scoring in Real's 6-3 win over Girona at the Bernabeu.
He took a private jet from Madrid to Luton before staying at a hotel in Richmond, London.
Bale's whistle-stop trip then saw him travel first class alongside team-mate Adam Matthews on a ten-and-a-half hour flight from Heathrow to Guangzhou on Monday morning.
The Welshman was mobbed by Chinese fans when he touched down, before he waited in a VIP lounge for his four-and-a-half hour connection.
After making the 7,426-mile one-way trip, Bale eventually arrived in Nanning at midday local time on Tuesday.
Despite the lengthy trek, after a quick-stop at the team hotel - amid further scenes of fanatical fans greeting his presence - he trained with the rest of the Welsh squad.
The team are preparing for their China Cup opener against the hosts here on Thursday - the first match under the control of Giggs.
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Bale has not played for Wales since facing Moldova last September.
He missed the last four internationals after that - including the crucial 1-0 defeat to Republic of Ireland which ended Wales' World Cup dreams.
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The failure to qualify for Russia 2018 meant Chris Coleman's impressive reign as national team boss came to an end.
Coleman opted to make a return to club management, although his choice to join Sunderland has come back to haunt him with the club staring relegation to League One in the face.
Wales turned to former Manchester United boss Giggs as their new coach, hoping he can revive the kind of displays and unity that saw the country reach the semi-finals of Euro 2016.
Giggs will send his side out for the first time on Thursday against a China team looking to make their mark on the international stage.
They then travel to America for a friendly against Mexico in California as the Welsh squad complete a round the world trip during the international break.