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.
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