Gareth Bale has fervently denied the assumption that Wales are a one-man-team ahead of their Euro 2016 opener against Slovakia on Saturday.
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“Of course Bale is world class, but it is not only him, the Wales team is not only Bale”, liverpoolfc.com reports Skrtel as saying.
“When we needed results in big games, we got them and were able to go that one step further than some of the best teams who have gone before us”. We’re together stronger — we don’t just say it for no reason.
“I don’t think we stopped believing but we had to get more experience, grow together”. “Referees are more lenient than in this tournament.hopefully Bale will get the protection he deserves”.
“If they want to go out and have a walk, a coffee to escape the hotel environment, we haven’t got a problem with that”.
Sam Vokes of newly promoted Burnley will also have a big role to play.
“There was hard times for a while, but we were all young and building for the future, ” said Bale.
“It’s going to be a tough game against a good team and we have to take care of business in that first encounter”, he said. “You don’t get success with a team full of choirboys”. “You hope that they referee the game fairly – that’s all you can ask for really”.
At Wales’ media centre in Dinard, Bale also spoke by video link to Gwyn Morris, his former Whitchurch High School PE master, and two current pupils of his old Cardiff school.
Although Bale’s presence will significantly enhance his side’s goal-scoring threat, it will do little to solve a recent defensive fragility that has seen them leak eight goals in the previous four matches.
“He’s a top player, not just for Wales, and one of the best players in the world”, Kozak told his pre-match press conference. “He was my hero growing up and an incredible player”.
Wales kick off a much-anticipated campaign against an unfancied side rated as long as 150-1 to win the tournament with some bookies.
“Whenever there was a major championship on I would be sat and home watching on TV, so to be involved is unbelievable”.
Expectations are not as high going into the Euros but Mills believes this will, for once, benefit England.
That compares favourably with Slovakia (24th), Wales (26th) and Russian Federation (29th).
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Group B consists of England (world ranking: 10), Russian Federation (27), Slovakia (32) and Wales (24), with the Three Lions hotly tipped to top the group.
