Gareth Bale is laying off the golf simulator in Wales’ camp to rest his back for their crunch game with Iran.
Wales’ captain and record scorer bagged his 41st international goal for his country from the spot in their opening 1-1 draw with USA. Bale, 33, is now preparing to face Iran on Friday in Group B back at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium.
Bale is so fired up for the clash he has even reduced his time playing the squad’s nearest the pin competition at the team hotel. Team-mate Harry Wilson revealed: “Gaz has had a golf simulator put up there so there have been a few competitions on that.
“When he has a swing he is very good. He hasn’t played as much closer to the game because his back might be feeling it a little bit.”
Golf-mad Bale, who was famously criticised at Real Madrid for his love of the sport, was previously top of the leaderboard at the team’s hotel in West Bay.
But he has now lost his spot, Wilson added: “We have a few good golfers. Some play more than others. Matty Smith is very good. He is definitely top dog at that.”
Wales and Bale were back in training on Wednesday at the squad’s base in Al Sadd. Included in the group was Joe Allen, who trained on his own before the USA game after a hamstring injury in September with Swansea.
He was an unused sub against USA but is closing in on a return to full fitness to push for a midfield place. Vastly experienced Allen, 32, has 72 caps and boss Rob Page has previously said: “if he is fit, he plays.”
Former lifeguard Kieffer Moore knows it is sink or swim for Wales in their crunch World Cup clash against Iran. But life was never a beach for Moore who has tirelessly worked his way up from Non League to the Premier League.
And the striker, who only this season became a top-flight player at the age of 29, is up for the challenge in Qatar. Bournemouth are his 12th club after working as a lifeguard and personal trainer when he was a teenager.
Now he is set to start in his first World Cup game in Doha after a determined climb to the summit via Truro, Dorchester, Yeovil, Norwegian side Viking, Forest Green Rovers, Torquay, Ipswich, Rotherham, Barnsley, Wigan, Cardiff and now Bournemouth.
Moore, 30, who has nine goals in 30 caps, reflected: “I’m enjoying every moment, every second here. My whole career has led to this point. It has taken a lot of dedication and hard work to get to this point.
“To play in a World Cup is massive. I'm very grateful and humble that I've managed to get here. It’s an incredible experience. It’s what you dream of as a little boy, to play at World Cups.
“If I manage to start on Friday, it will be a very proud moment for myself and my family and one which will have taken a lot of hard work and dedication to get to.
“I wouldn’t say I’ve had a tough life but it’s been a tough journey to get to this point, a lot of sacrifice and hard work. When I was working at the same time I was playing football, it was a lot of hard work and a lot of sacrifices I had to put in.
“But ultimately that’s led me to have this work ethos which I’ve carried the whole way with me and I still have now. I have life experience from being out in the real world whereas when you’re in the academy, I suppose you are a bit sheltered from that.”
