Gareth Bale refused to answer questions about his international future following Wales‘ disappointing exit from Euro 2020.
The Wales captain expressed his frustration at his side’s 4-0 defeat to Denmark but was clearly in no mood to discuss his future plans.
When asked by the BBC if this was his last game for Wales, the 31-year-old shrugged his shoulder, turned away and walked off.
As footage cut back to the studio, presenter Gabby Logan said: “There you go, that was the answer to that.”
There had been speculation leading into the tournament that Bale could retire after Euro 2020 – not only from international football but from club football too.
Having seemingly fallen out of favour at Real Madrid and with Spurs choosing not to renew his loan deal, the four-time Champions League winner’s options appear limited.
While his agent Jonathan Barnett dismissed the retirement rumours as “rubbish”, the man himself has been less forthright, repeatedly refusing to say one way or the other what his plans are.
“Obviously there’s been a lot of things written about whether I’m doing this and doing that,” Bale said at the start of June.
“For me, the main thing is I don’t want to say anything that’s going to cause more chaos or more drama or cause a distraction. I just want to focus on the Euros. I don’t want to say anything that is going to cause any problems on what I am doing or what I am not doing.
“When the Euros finishes for us then I will sit down and decide what I want to do.”
Wales ‘frustrated and angry’ after Denmark defeat
Wales failed to build on a promising group stage performance as Kasper Dolberg struck either side of half-time and Joakim Maehle and Martin Braithwaite scored late on to cap an excellent display by the Danes.
Wales’ misery was compounded by the dismissal of substitute Harry Wilson for felling Maehle in the 90th minute.
It had been a decent opening by Robert Page’s much-travelled squad, but Bale offered no excuses.
“It was not how we wanted the game to go,” Bale said. “We started very well for the first 25 minutes, but conceded a goal and the game changed a little bit.
“We came out second half trying to play and unfortunately made a mistake to concede the [second] goal which I guess killed the momentum on our side.
“Obviously to finish the game how we did is disappointing. The boys are frustrated and angry, it is understandable, and I would rather us go out like that, kicking and screaming than laying off and doing nothing.”
Bale felt the second Denmark goal should not have stood for a foul on striker Kieffer Moore.
“I think the referee is being influenced by the crowd here, but it is what it is,” the Real Madrid forward said. “There is no point in making excuses now, it is done. It is disappointing, that is all I can say.”
Bale accepted Wales had “missed an opportunity” to reach the last eight.
“One thing we can’t fault is the effort the boys have shown,” he said. “That is the minimum requirement for this group and I am proud of them all still.”
Bale is Wales’ record scorer with 33 goals and has won 96 caps.
Additional reporting by Press Association
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from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3w0pLmX
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