Dad’s joy at son’s chance meeting with Gareth Bale at Welsh star’s old school

A young pupil from Whitchurch High School was thrilled when he bumped into Welsh superstar Gareth Bale.

Evan Shearer had competed in the Cardiff and Vale Athletics Championships and on returning to his school – Whitchurch High – he was stunned to see the Wales talisman with a film crew.

It was only natural then he got a picture with the LAFC bound star.

Posting the picture on Twitter, Evan’s dad – David, a professor in Elite Performance Psychology at University of South Wales, joked: ‘My son ran in the Cardiff and Vale athletic champs yesterday for @WhitchurchPE. ‘Some bloke’ was so inspired by Evan’s 1500m he kept pestering him for a photo when he got back to school #heroeswithoutcapes Thanks
@GarethBale11’

My son ran in the Cardiff and Vale athletic champs yesterday for @WhitchurchPE . ‘Some bloke’ was so inspired by Evan’s 1500m he kept pestering him for a photo when he got back to school #heroeswithoutcapes Thanks @GarethBale11 pic.twitter.com/QvlQJZsPzH

— David Shearer (@davshearer) June 28, 2022

The Welsh football icon was back on home turf filming around Cardiff and at his old school for a video about his roots for his new club Los Angeles FC.

One of Bale’s old schoolmates called ahead to make sure it was OK for the footballer to come and do some filming at the school and, of course, Whitchurch High were only too willing to oblige for one of their greatest-ever alumnus.

Bale arrived at the school at around 6pm, when he met with some of the children who had been on an athletics day out and some who had been rugby training.

The school posted on Twitter: ‘Lovely surprise today for LAFC bound Gareth Bale to come and say hello at the school such a great role model for our kids👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 good luck with your new club LAFC and with Wales in the world cup’

Lovely surprise today for LAFC bound Gareth Bale to come and say hello at the school such a great role model for our kids👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 good luck with your new club LAFC and with Wales in the world cup ⁦@LAFC⁩ ⁦@whs_cardiff⁩ ⁦@GarethBale11⁩ ⁦@FAWalesfanss⁩ pic.twitter.com/qgOL5wKHUh

— Whitchurch PE Dept (@WhitchurchPE) June 27, 2022

It’s been productive few days for Bale.

After he sent shockwaves around the football world after announcing his signing with LAFC, ensuring he has a club to play for to maintain his fitness ahead of Qatar, he has today been awarded the goal which sent Wales to the World Cup following a technical review.

Wales ended their 64-year wait to play at a World Cup by beating Ukraine 1-0 in their play-off final in Cardiff earlier this month.

The decisive strike initially went down as an own goal by Andriy Yarmolenko after he headed in Bale’s 34th-minute free-kick.

But that verdict has now been overturned, moving Bale – who is set to join MLS side Los Angeles FC following his departure from Real Madrid – on to 40 international goals.

“Following a technical review, @GarethBale11 has been awarded the winning goal against Ukraine that sent us to the #FIFAWorldCup,” read a post on Wales’ Twitter account.

“Llongyfarchiadau ein Capten! (Congratulations to our captain!) Time to celebrate that goal all over again!”

Wales’ only previous World Cup appearance came in Sweden in 1958.

Robert Page’s men have been drawn in Group B for Qatar, alongside Iran, the United States and rivals England.