Gareth Bale’s move to Los Angeles will have positive knock-on effects for Wales ahead of this winter’s World Cup and potentially beyond, according to the head of the nation’s FA.
Noel Mooney believes that only Robbie Keane, Ireland’s record goalscorer, has displayed a similar level of commitment to his nation as Bale.
And as the 33-year-old settles into life in MLS, the FAW’s chief executive hopes regular football across the Atlantic will lead to him being in peak condition come November having been near dormant in his final season at Real Madrid. Bale made his LA bow as a substitute in a 2-1 win away to Nashville last weekend and the timing of MLS' season, which runs to autumn, will give Wales' star man plenty of opportunities to be razor sharp.
“Gareth’s move to LA is a great move for him. I watch the MLS quite a lot and I think it’s a really good move for him. We’ve heard him say recently he might play beyond the World Cup which is great to hear,” Mooney said.
“It’s really impressive when you look at Gareth’s devotion to his national team. It’s unbelievable what he’d do and what he gives to play for his country. Look at the Austria game, he hadn’t played for months essentially and I remember meeting him in the hotel when the squad gathered. I looked into his eyes and could see that this person is clearly on a mission to get to the World Cup finals.
“There’s a single minded focus. To watch him and see his body language. Because he’s had such a high profile career, winning Champions League finals and being such a successful footballer, to see that burning desire to get to a World Cup finals. I’m so happy for him.”
Mooney is also pleased to see manager Rob Page lead the team to Qatar. The former defender, who won 41 caps, had been in interim charge since November 2020 when predecessor Ryan Giggs was arrested for assault and subsequently suspended by the FAW.
Giggs’ trial, set to begin next month, has been delayed due to backlogs in court. His contract with Wales was due to expire later this year and on June 20 he confirmed he would be resigning "with immediate effect", making Page the permanent manager after 26 games in charge.
“We were aware of the legal situation in Ryan’s case. It’s gone on longer and longer with Covid and the case was moved on through no fault of anybody. As it’s gone on, the team has built its own energy and vibe with Rob and we’ve qualified for a World Cup. Ryan saw the bigger picture and made his decision,” Mooney said.
“It was kind of an evolution more than anything. Rob has done more matches than Ryan [who managed 25]. Rob took the team to the Euros and they went into a lot of matches in the past couple of years.
“Rob’s done a fantastic job. It was more of a discussion to be honest, we were all aware of the situation. Rob had signed up to an agreement prior to myself coming [to Wales]. It was an agreement. Rob did a tremendous job as the interim manager and now he’s in there. He’s a very impressive guy to work with and we’re very proud to have him.”
