GARETH BALE SETS SIGHT ON EURO 2016 FINAL

Real Madrid superstar forward Gareth Bale sets his sight on the Euro 2016 final already.

The Welshman is relishing the opportunity to play at the semi finals, despite many writing the team off initially. Wales is set to play Portugal in the semi finals on Wednesday.

Bale speaks of endless jibes from his club team mates about their team’s chances at the tournament. He said: “I remember Toni Kroos [team mate at Real Madrid] saying we’d only have three games here. So it would be nice to meet him in the final.

“It was a good laugh and a joke – a bit of banter – but I’ve had a lot of abuse over the years,” Bale revealed.

He mentioned how others used to make fun of his extended summer break when the rest of his teammates would be on international duty. Their performances at the tournament have been one of the inspirational moments in European football. The semi final game would be the biggest single footballing event in their national history, especially as the country is a traditional rugby nation. The 3-1 victory over Belgium takes them past the quarter final stage they last reached in 1958.

He claimed he used to have nine weeks off while others joked that they had just two. He said it was a great feeling to be playing in a major tournament and really doing good with the national team. Bale said they know they exceeded the expectations of many but seeing the past stunners pulled by Greece and Denmark, that they knew they could go all the way. He admitted that they gained a lot of confidence from the game against Belgium and that he has his holiday planned from the 11th of July. On a final note, he claims the team was more confident and is keen on playing in the final.