Gareth Bale says he feels loved again and the decision…

Gareth Bale says he feels loved again and the decision Wales boss Rob Page is dreading

Gareth Bale admits he feels loved again following his move to Los Angeles from Real Madrid.

The Welshman won numerous trophies in the Spanish capital but endured a tough few seasons in the latter stages of his nine-year spell with the La Liga giants. Following the expiration of his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer, Bale secured a move to Major League Soccer and has enjoyed an impressive start to life with the Western Conference leaders, scoring twice in 11 outings.

And the 33-year-old has been reinvigorated by his switch to the United States of America. When asked if he feels wanted again, Bale responded: "Definitely. It feels nice, the fans have been really supportive over there, they've been really patient as well which is good. I'm enjoying playing there, the atmosphere is incredible, they're all supporting the team.

"I can't ask for any more than that. They've made me feel at home straight away. So it's good vibes from the MLS and hopefully that gives me more confidence going into Wales as well.

"The family are now settled in which is a big part. I'm getting stronger and fitter. Now we have an important stretch of games in the MLS, but after that I can turn my attention to the World Cup and hopefully be in the best shape I possibly can."

Bale is yet to play a full 90 minutes for his new club, and following his arduous trek from LA to Cardiff earlier this week, it remains to be seen whether he will be available to start Wales' Nations League clash with Belgium on Thursday night.

But the Wales captain confirmed he is in the frame to feature in any capacity required by boss Rob Page. "It's up to the manager, but I'm fit and available," he said.

"I feel like I've planned my journey to get used to the time changes well. I'll train today and we'll go from there."

Due to his club commitments, Bale linked up with his international team-mates on Tuesday instead of Monday. Nevertheless, head coach Page - who recently signed a four-year contract with the Football Association of Wales - admits he was stunned by the condition of his talisman following his 11-hour flight to the United Kingdom.

"All of the staff spoke about it last night. He was bright, you wouldn't have thought he'd just got off a flight from the States," said Page.

"His preparation started as soon as the final whistle went in his game. He goes to the nth degree. I'm not surprised by his professionalism, but I was surprised with how fresh he looked last night and this morning."

The Red Dragons will be without a number of key players for their fixtures with Belgium and Poland this week. Joe Allen, Ben Davies, Harry Wilson and Aaron Ramsey are all unavailable due to injury, with young guns Jordan James and Luke Harris both earning senior call-ups for the first time.

Wales need to ensure they at least match Poland's result against Netherlands to stand any chance of remaining in League A. The current block of fixtures also represents the final opportunity for players to impress in a Wales jersey before the World Cup squad is selected later this year.

"You've just got to be honest with players," said Page. "You're not going to please everybody. I'm already dreading the 26 for the World Cup because we've got so many great players in the group of 30 or 32 players, and more.

"That's the hard part of the job. We've got a great group. They know it'll be nothing personal when I have to make those decisions, but, you're right, it is difficult keeping them all happy."

Belgium v Wales kicks off at 7:45pm on Thursday. Page's men host Poland at Cardiff City Stadium on Sunday night.

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