THE DOUBTS WALES HAD ABOUT FUTURE LEGEND

BELIEVE it or not, Gareth Bale was overlooked for games by Wales Schools at the age of 15 - just a year before making his senior debut under John Toshack and going on to become the finest player most of us have seen pull on the red shirt.

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Ryan Giggs and Sir Alex Ferguson

In the Wales Schools team that year were Chris Gunter and Neil Taylor, who went on to become colleagues of Bale at senior level, plus Aaron Ramsey, at 14 a year younger than the rest but who was so special I'm told ‘he wanted to take the corners and head them in too!’

‘There were also a host of others chosen ahead of Bale, who fell by the wayside. ‘Thankfully, the brushoff didn’t last. Bale was too good to keep down.

It should be pointed out his club Southampton also possessed the same doubts at the time.