England game won’t be his last in a Wales shirt says Gareth Bale

Tomorrow’s England game won’t be his last in a Wales shirt, captain Gareth Bale has said.

However, it wasn’t clear whether he intends to continue after the World Cup or whether he holds on to some hope of reaching the last 16.

Wales would currently need to beat England to go through, either by four goals or by hoping that Iran draw with the USA.

Asked at today’s press conference if it could be his last game for Wales, Bale, now 33, simply said: “No.”

Bale says Wales have spotted weaknesses in an England side which began with a 6-2 win over Iran but were then held goalless by the US.

He said: “For sure every team has weaknesses. There have been a few shocks already in the World Cup and hopefully we can make another one

“We’ll fight again. You could see how devastated we were on the pitch when Iran scored, and no one can ever question our commitment.

“Of course we would have loved to have been winning but the reality is football is hard.”

He added that Wales’ energy has been restored after Friday’s 2-0 defeat to Iran, which followed a 1-1 draw the USA in their opening match.

Bale said: “We’re disappointed with the results and performances – it’s the World Cup and it’s not easy – but we’ll keep working hard and making sure the results are better.

“We’ve got some characters in the team and the energy’s good again. We can’t dwell on it and we have to go again. We’ll give 100 per cent as we always do.”

‘Hurting’

Wales manager Robert Page says his squad have addressed the issues that have seen them struggle to make an impact at the World Cup.

Page’s side need to beat England on Tuesday and hope the other Group B game between Iran and the United States ends in a draw to make the knockout stage.

He said: “My frustration and disappointment is that we’ve shown nowhere near the levels that have got us to the World Cup.

“We’ve addressed it and have got to give a performance that our supporters want. I’ll pick a team that will go out and try to get us the win.”

Wales have not beaten England since May 1984, losing their last six games against their neighbours.

Asked about Wales’ poor record in the fixture, Page said: “Playing England adds a bit of spice. But we don’t look back at stats for motivation.

“We’re all hurting as a group. That’s the motivation we need.

“I think every team is beatable. England have got some top-class players but, of course, they are beatable.”