Bale Retires

[K23]

To be fair the European Cup was in its infancy when he was at Juventus and the Italians among many other nations didn't take it seriously.

Indeed, the opportunities for JC to have achieved far more just weren't there so we'll never know.

 

[Niigata Jack]

Hard to compare as football has changed so dramatically between Charles' playing days and now. John is the only one to challenge Bale for the title of Wales' GOAT, for me personally he sits second on the list.

Thanks for everything Gareth and enjoy your retirement. His performances for Wales will go down in legend and rightfully so. He also wins massive style points for me by trolling the Real Madrid fans by speaking excellent Spanish in an early interview with LA Galaxy. :lol:

JC for me, seeing as he played Centre Forward and Centre Half and was outstanding in both, its a close call though considering what Bale has achieved throughout his career.

 

[Darran]

People are too thick to separate Ryan Giggs scummy personal life from his football career.
You don’t win the trophies he’s won and not deserve a mention and yes he is a scummy twat.

 

[Neath_Jack]

No, not for me. Most of JC's football in this country was in the 2nd Division and while he was with Juve, they won the Italian league a few times but I don't think they won a European trophy.

Ian Rush and Ryan Giggs weren't too shabby mind.

 

[Cooperman]

Thanks for the memories, Gareth. Toulouse (in particular) and Lille in 2016 are two of my finest sporting memories.

He beats Giggs to my accolade of Wales’

 

[J_B]

Giggs has a staggering number of domestic titles, more than anyone else I think.
Never tested himself overseas and showed little interest in international football.

 

[A4Jack]

https://twitter.com/Cymru/status/1612473718034554885?s=20&t=Bt3KfF4dwVb0QrzWiyZh9w

 

[Neath_Jack]

Don't get me wrong, Bale is the finest Welsh player in my lifetime, but there a few others who are up there with him.

Football fans are fucking headers mind. During the recent world cup, Messi was the GOAT. Pele dies a few weeks later, and those exact same fans are then extolling Pele as the greatest ever.

We're a strange lot aye :lol:

 

[bakajack]

Bale has looked more and more like a spent force, while he can still win a game by himself with a moment of magic his performances were more and more becoming just that, moments of magic rather than being a terror over the course of the whole match.

The Euro 2018 squad was our golden generation in my eyes, we have since lost our manager as well as the lynchpin in defence (Ash) and our talisman up front (Bale). While he probably could have stuck around to make one more Euros push he would have been honest with himself that he wasn't often doing enough to justify the shirt and one thing you could never fault Bale on was his love and pride at wearing the red jersey.

Will be decades before we see his like again in a welsh shirt and Wales now needs to rediscover themselves as a playing identity without him.

I also wouldn't be surprised to see Ramsey follow closely behind him.

 

[monmouth]

Ramsey retired before the World Cup, didn’t he?

 

[JackSomething]

People are too thick to separate Ryan Giggs scummy personal life from his football career.
You don’t win the trophies he’s won and not deserve a mention and yes he is a scummy twat.

Club football only, he's definitely not far behind Bale. Think Bale's 5 Champions League wins tops even Giggs' incredible honours list with Man Utd.

Difference between them is Giggs never seemed to have the passion for Wales that Bale did (whether that's true or not) and didn't produce the same kind of iconic performances in a Welsh shirt.

 

[Darran]

Club football only, he's definitely not far behind Bale. Think Bale's 5 Champions League wins tops even Giggs' incredible honours list with Man Utd.

Difference between them is Giggs never seemed to have the passion for Wales that Bale did (whether that's true or not) and didn't produce the same kind of iconic performances in a Welsh shirt.

I do not disagree.

 

[Neath_Jack]

Club football only, he's definitely not far behind Bale. Think Bale's 5 Champions League wins tops even Giggs' incredible honours list with Man Utd.

Difference between them is Giggs never seemed to have the passion for Wales that Bale did (whether that's true or not) and didn't produce the same kind of iconic performances in a Welsh shirt.

Rush has probably won more major trophies than Bale, although Bale beats him 5-2 in the European Cup.

 

[Swanjaxs]

Magnificent servant, get rid of baldy now and appoint GB

And by the way, in my honest opinion, this guy needs no coaching badges, he's been there, done it, yadda yadda

 

[exiledclaseboy]

Rush has probably won more major trophies than Bale, although Bale beats him 5-2 in the European Cup.

Probably depends what you define as major.

Rush.

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/ian-rush/erfolge/spieler/145743

Bale

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/gareth-bale/erfolge/spieler/39381

Giggs

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/ryan-giggs/erfolge/spieler/3406