‘That was the shift to superhero’: Gareth Bale as he reaches 100 Wales caps

11-Nov-2021 08:00:00 | Guardian

Teammates recall the most memorable of the forward’s 99 appearances before landmark match at home to Belarus

Trinidad & Tobago 1-2 Wales, May 2006 (friendly). Cap: one

My first impressions were of a young, very skinny kid who was a bit shy. But you could see that smooth left foot, that speed, that composure and little flash of brilliance. As soon as he had his first touch, coming from a left-back position, he looked up and dribbled and it was almost like: ‘This is where I’m supposed to be.’ In the game he had zero fear. He ended up pulling the ball back for me for his first assist. Robert Earnshaw