Alessandro Nesta told Stadium Astro that Tottenham fan favourite, Gareth Bale, can do ‘much better’ for Wales at Euro 2020.
The Italian legend stated that the Tottenham loanee lacks personality and thinks he doesn’t step up in difficult moments.
Wales qualified for the knockout stages of Euro 2020 on Sunday, despite being beaten 1-0 by Group A table-toppers Italy.
And Nesta thinks Bale needs to take a leaf out of his former Real Madrid teammates, Cristiano Ronaldo’s book when things become difficult out on the pitch.
“I want to talk about Bale,” said Nesta. “He can miss a penalty and he can miss a goal. But what I expect from him is being more involved in the game.
“If Cristiano Ronaldo sees Portugal in difficulty then he comes inside the field to receive more balls.
“For me, a player like Bale is one of the best in the world. He can do much better in terms of his personality. You are the captain and the team is in difficulty.
“Come. It’s your time to do something different from the other players.”
It’s perhaps harsh from Nesta to criticise Bale’s performances for Wales because that’s when he does actually step up.
Just like Paul Pogba, you can have mixed views on Bale at club level, but when it comes to donning the colours of his country, he is a different animal.
And that’s proven by the fact that they reached the semi-finals of Euro 2016, and once again, it seems as though they may well be heading towards a similar journey this time around.
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