Gareth Bale has paid a moving tribute to former Wales manager Gary Speed on the eve of Wales' first appearance at a World Cup in 64 years.
Bale credits Speed with setting in motion Wales' dramatic rise to the top table of the football world before his tragic death in 2011. Speed worked tirelessly to transform the culture at the Football Association of Wales when he was in charge of the men's national team. He took his own life in November that year, 11 months after taking on the role.
Wales have qualified for three major tournaments in the years which have followed, and Bale believes that success would be a source of great pride for Speed. Speaking on a forthcoming ITV documentary which documents the Welsh turnaround Speed started, Bale is keen to credit his former boss, who took the side from 117th in the world to the top 50.
“If Gary Speed was here with us now he would be proud of what we’ve achieved, not just on the pitch but off it," Bale said. "Qualifying for the last three of four major tournaments, it’s what dreams are made of and I’m sure he’s looking down on us with a big smile and happy that Welsh football is in a great place.
"Gary Speed’s vision was to grow the FAW, not just the football, but the infrastructure: building a training base, having a high-performance centre and recovery centre, just like a top club.”
The ITV documentary, The 64 Year Wait, airs at 9pm on Monday, November 14, on ITV4, with Bale describing the last decade as "a Hollywood script you wouldn't believe".
He adds: "There’s been a lot of missed opportunities where we could have qualified and never did. To play with your mates as I do, having grown up with them in the youth system in Wales has been a fun time. No matter how life was on the pitch at our clubs we really enjoy playing together. It’s a Hollywood script that you wouldn’t believe. From where we are now to when we started out, if you’d offered me half of that I’d have bitten your hand off."
Wales head to Qatar on Tuesday, the day after the documentary is screened.
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