2:07:05 > 2:07:07It was a qualifying campaign
2:07:07 > 2:07:10that always glowed with a collective spirit,
2:07:10 > 2:07:13but it was illuminated by a guiding light.
2:07:13 > 2:07:17It caught fire because of one player - Gareth Bale.
2:07:17 > 2:07:22He's a special player and he can make the difference in any game.
2:07:24 > 2:07:26Every single training session and every game,
2:07:26 > 2:07:29there's definitely a Gareth Bale moment where you just think, "Wow."
2:07:29 > 2:07:32- COMMENTATOR:- ..Gareth Bale!
2:07:32 > 2:07:35When Gareth Bale is in full flow,
2:07:35 > 2:07:38he is unstoppable, simple as that.
2:07:38 > 2:07:40You could put him on the pitch anywhere you like
2:07:40 > 2:07:43and he'd be an outstanding player.
2:07:43 > 2:07:44Just give him the ball.
2:07:44 > 2:07:47He'll do something with it, it's a certainty.
2:07:50 > 2:07:52He's come up with the goods time and time again
2:07:52 > 2:07:56and that illustrates what an outstanding player he is.
2:07:59 > 2:08:02Qualifying now gives way to the real thing.
2:08:03 > 2:08:04The impact he can have -
2:08:04 > 2:08:08I mean, he's one of the best players in the world.
2:08:08 > 2:08:10He's the match winner, he's the main man,
2:08:10 > 2:08:12he's the talisman of the team.
2:08:30 > 2:08:34He is ours, but his time with us is limited.
2:08:34 > 2:08:39We have to share him with the club never afraid to spend like no other.
2:08:40 > 2:08:42If only it were as simple as playing...
2:08:43 > 2:08:46..doing what he does best.
2:08:49 > 2:08:52But this is life as an £85 million "galactico"
2:08:52 > 2:08:56and when you join the mega-wealthy of Real Madrid,
2:08:56 > 2:08:57you enter a new world.
2:08:58 > 2:09:03At the age of 26, you're a long way from the end of your journey.
2:09:03 > 2:09:06But you're also a long way from where you started.
2:09:09 > 2:09:14Little Gareth Frank Bale, from the northern suburbs of Cardiff.
2:09:14 > 2:09:18He went to school here, Whitchurch High, a huge comprehensive
2:09:18 > 2:09:21and home to a special sporting elite.
2:09:21 > 2:09:27Rugby's Sam Warburton and cycling's Geraint Thomas went here too.
2:09:27 > 2:09:32Did the footballer stand out? Spot the Bale in a sea of faces.
2:09:32 > 2:09:35He was quiet, got about his work quietly,
2:09:35 > 2:09:37didn't really upset too many people,
2:09:37 > 2:09:39just, I guess, easy to get along with.
2:09:39 > 2:09:43He was the kid who was good at football, you know?
2:09:43 > 2:09:46"Give the ball to Bale" was probably our main call.
2:09:46 > 2:09:48If he didn't play, we didn't win!
2:09:50 > 2:09:52A guiding light already, then,
2:09:52 > 2:09:54and one soon on his way,
2:09:54 > 2:09:57talent-spotted by the Southampton Academy,
2:09:57 > 2:10:02and not long afterwards, by the Saints' first-team manager.
2:10:02 > 2:10:05Gareth was always somebody that people were speaking about,
2:10:05 > 2:10:09this fabulous left back at the time,
2:10:09 > 2:10:12young player with bags of energy, enthusiasm,
2:10:12 > 2:10:16and I had no fears of giving Gareth his opportunity.
2:10:16 > 2:10:19Got into the first team and never looked back.
2:10:20 > 2:10:24There was still something of the age of innocence about all this,
2:10:24 > 2:10:27a game simply to be enjoyed,
2:10:27 > 2:10:29but this was also a fast track.
2:10:30 > 2:10:32The next manager to be impressed -
2:10:32 > 2:10:37John Toshack, manager of Wales, a child prodigy in his day,
2:10:37 > 2:10:39but not as young as this.
2:10:39 > 2:10:43- COMMENTATOR:- Gareth Bale becomes Wales' youngest ever international,
2:10:43 > 2:10:4616 years and 315 days,
2:10:46 > 2:10:48Wales' celebrated wonder-kid.
2:10:50 > 2:10:53Late May 2006,
2:10:53 > 2:10:56a friendly against Trinidad & Tobago in Graz, Austria.
2:10:57 > 2:11:01Not quite home, but looking very much at home.
2:11:01 > 2:11:03Good ball through for Bale here
2:11:03 > 2:11:04and returned to Earnshaw,
2:11:04 > 2:11:06and it might just have won the game.
2:11:09 > 2:11:11Gareth Bale, record-breaker - how does that feel?
2:11:11 > 2:11:13Obviously, it's good, yeah.
2:11:13 > 2:11:16Enjoyed every minute of the game and just happy to get on, really, yeah.
2:11:16 > 2:11:19What's it been like, the last couple of days with the senior squad?
2:11:19 > 2:11:21Obviously, it's just a new experience for me
2:11:21 > 2:11:23and I just enjoy every minute of it,
2:11:23 > 2:11:27just being around all the big players and that.
2:11:27 > 2:11:32The next landmark - a first goal for Wales in 2008.
2:11:32 > 2:11:37Things to do in football, tick them off one by one, celebrate them.
2:11:38 > 2:11:42All preparation for what started in September 2014.
2:11:42 > 2:11:44Wales hadn't qualified for the finals
2:11:44 > 2:11:47of a major championship since 1958.
2:11:47 > 2:11:49Here lay the great challenge.
2:11:50 > 2:11:52I think at the start of qualifying,
2:11:52 > 2:11:55he realised that something was possible
2:11:55 > 2:11:58and I think he thought to himself, "I really need to perform
2:11:58 > 2:12:04"in the qualifying and do the best I can to get this team over the line."
2:12:06 > 2:12:08Not the best of starts.
2:12:10 > 2:12:12- COMMENTATOR: - Davies, Bale is waiting.
2:12:12 > 2:12:13Bale with the header!
2:12:13 > 2:12:151-1!
2:12:15 > 2:12:20Gareth Bale comes to the rescue in the nick of time for Wales!
2:12:26 > 2:12:292-1! Gareth Bale again!
2:12:29 > 2:12:30It wasn't the greatest of starts,
2:12:30 > 2:12:35but we showed true character in the squad to keep going and come back.
2:12:35 > 2:12:37The good thing I like about people like Gareth Bale
2:12:37 > 2:12:39is they look as if they want to play,
2:12:39 > 2:12:43they look as if they're going to be out there every time, give 100%.
2:12:43 > 2:12:47Hopefully, he'll be in that Welsh team for years and years to come.
2:12:49 > 2:12:54The shaky start, followed by two draws and a victory.
2:12:54 > 2:12:57After four games, Wales were unbeaten.
2:12:57 > 2:12:59A win away in Haifa against Israel
2:12:59 > 2:13:02and they'd go to the top of their group.
2:13:02 > 2:13:04Bale hits it!
2:13:04 > 2:13:052-0!
2:13:05 > 2:13:07Ramsey inside the Israel area,
2:13:07 > 2:13:09tries to get it back to Bale!
2:13:09 > 2:13:11And he's scored a second tonight!
2:13:11 > 2:13:15Gareth Bale makes it Israel 0-3 Wales.
2:13:18 > 2:13:20What he does as a world-class player
2:13:20 > 2:13:22is he has the ability to change games
2:13:22 > 2:13:25and he's done that on numerous occasions for Wales,
2:13:25 > 2:13:27been the difference in key games
2:13:27 > 2:13:29when you need your big players to produce,
2:13:29 > 2:13:33because that's the demand everybody places on the top players
2:13:33 > 2:13:36and he's come up with the goods time and time again,
2:13:36 > 2:13:39and that illustrates what an outstanding player he is.
2:13:40 > 2:13:43Back in May 2007, when he was still 17,
2:13:43 > 2:13:47he was on the move again, from Southampton to Tottenham Hotspur.
2:13:47 > 2:13:51He went for millions, but only single-figure millions.
2:13:51 > 2:13:53I've made the right decision.
2:13:53 > 2:13:56It's obviously a big club, a lot of potential
2:13:56 > 2:13:57and hopefully we can fulfil that
2:13:57 > 2:14:00and hopefully I can be a part of it.
2:14:00 > 2:14:04Almost immediately at Spurs, he was more than just a part of it.
2:14:07 > 2:14:11You could see from day one with Gareth that he was special.
2:14:11 > 2:14:14Did I think that he would get to the heights that he's got to?
2:14:14 > 2:14:19To say that you wouldn't be surprised, you'd probably be lying.
2:14:19 > 2:14:21He was always a very confident lad.
2:14:21 > 2:14:24You could tell that he had the ability on and off the pitch.
2:14:30 > 2:14:33There had to be a stumble somewhere, a trip up.
2:14:33 > 2:14:36For a time, it all went wrong.
2:14:36 > 2:14:38There was a succession of injuries.
2:14:39 > 2:14:43I did feel he'd got a little knock in training
2:14:43 > 2:14:46and then I can see him now limping off on one leg two or three times
2:14:46 > 2:14:49every morning when someone would kick him,
2:14:49 > 2:14:51cos I suppose the only way you could stop him would be to kick him,
2:14:51 > 2:14:53he was unstoppable.
2:14:53 > 2:14:56I said to the physios, "Just leave him, he'll get up."
2:14:56 > 2:15:00Then, suddenly, he came through that spell.
2:15:01 > 2:15:03I was still a young boy at the time
2:15:03 > 2:15:06and there were obviously certain aspects I needed to improve
2:15:06 > 2:15:09and I worked hard in training and kind of proved to him
2:15:09 > 2:15:11that I was worthy of a spot in the team
2:15:11 > 2:15:14and when I did that, he gave me my chance.
2:15:14 > 2:15:16A fresh start.
2:15:16 > 2:15:20A turning point - a Champions League game against Inter Milan,
2:15:20 > 2:15:23Spurs 3-0 down at half-time.
2:15:23 > 2:15:26I said, "Listen, I'm not taking Gareth off.
2:15:26 > 2:15:30"If we get a goal or two..." I'm not saying I felt we could win the game,
2:15:30 > 2:15:34but I certainly felt we had to be some kind of a threat going forward
2:15:34 > 2:15:39and the second half, I mean, he scored the most amazing hat-trick.
2:15:39 > 2:15:422013 - he was a headline act now.
2:15:43 > 2:15:46Would he be any different as a person?
2:15:46 > 2:15:48Four days off last week,
2:15:48 > 2:15:50because I felt he needed a break
2:15:50 > 2:15:53because he'd been playing so well and working so hard
2:15:53 > 2:15:55and I said, "Go abroad for a few days,"
2:15:55 > 2:15:57and he did, he went to Cardiff...
2:15:57 > 2:16:00- LAUGHTER - ..and stayed at his mum's.
2:16:00 > 2:16:01- COMMENTATOR:- Bale shoots!
2:16:01 > 2:16:03Oh, he's got it!
2:16:03 > 2:16:06- I don't believe it! - In his last season for Spurs,
2:16:06 > 2:16:09he scored 26 goals in all competitions.
2:16:09 > 2:16:12He's an incredibly talented player.
2:16:12 > 2:16:15He's a genius, really, when the ball's at his feet.
2:16:15 > 2:16:19He's one of the best players I've ever, ever seen live.
2:16:19 > 2:16:23When he's on the ball, he's just like a gazelle, he's so quick.
2:16:32 > 2:16:35The PFA's Players' Player of the Year,
2:16:35 > 2:16:36their Young Player of the Year,
2:16:36 > 2:16:39and the Football Writers' Player of the Year.
2:16:39 > 2:16:41He was a target.
2:16:41 > 2:16:44They loved him at home and they came after him from abroad
2:16:44 > 2:16:48and one club in particular could afford him.
2:16:48 > 2:16:51HE SPEAKS SPANISH
2:16:51 > 2:16:53- RUSSIAN:- Rekordnuyu summu za futbolista
2:16:53 > 2:16:56- zaplatil madridskii klub Real... - He was the talk of Europe.
2:16:56 > 2:16:58HE SPEAKS FRENCH
2:16:59 > 2:17:02It was always going to be difficult to hang onto him
2:17:02 > 2:17:04but in the end Tottenham got incredible money for him
2:17:04 > 2:17:07and it was a great move for him to Real Madrid, so it was...
2:17:07 > 2:17:11It probably suited everybody. He was irreplaceable at Tottenham.
2:17:11 > 2:17:12That was the problem.
2:17:12 > 2:17:16# I wanna be the King of Spain... #
2:17:16 > 2:17:20I think, at the time, it was one of those players that really
2:17:20 > 2:17:22were important.
2:17:22 > 2:17:25I think with Benzema arriving here, Messi,
2:17:25 > 2:17:30Neymar, Suarez from Barcelona, Bale was, yes, that player
2:17:30 > 2:17:33in the top five or top six you can get.
2:17:33 > 2:17:36And in the end, I think he came because he wanted to.
2:17:38 > 2:17:42I've always wanted to try and reach the peak of everything,
2:17:42 > 2:17:44and I think Real Madrid is that.
2:17:44 > 2:17:46For me, they are the biggest club in the world.
2:17:46 > 2:17:49I always wanted to strive to be the best and, yeah,
2:17:49 > 2:17:51I always wanted to play for Real Madrid.
2:17:51 > 2:17:54Of course, the fans were excited, too, because it's not just
2:17:54 > 2:17:57that it's the Premier league, it's that Spanish football fans
2:17:57 > 2:17:59watch English football a lot.
2:17:59 > 2:18:01They are aware of players in the Premier League.
2:18:01 > 2:18:03This isn't a guy that you look at the stats and go,
2:18:03 > 2:18:05"Oh, he scored a lot of goals."
2:18:05 > 2:18:08No, we've seen him score a lot of goals and in that sense, yeah,
2:18:08 > 2:18:09he was a very big target.
2:18:13 > 2:18:17What the fans know in Madrid is matched by what they expect.
2:18:41 > 2:18:45The weight of the price tag, the pressure of those demands -
2:18:45 > 2:18:47how would the 24-year-old from Cardiff
2:18:47 > 2:18:49react to this intensity in Madrid?
2:18:49 > 2:18:53A galactico among so many other galacticos.
2:18:53 > 2:18:55When he was at Spurs, he was pretty much running the show
2:18:55 > 2:18:58and going to Madrid, playing with the likes of the Ronaldos,
2:18:58 > 2:19:01the Benzemas, the Modrices, who he has played with before,
2:19:01 > 2:19:03he's not so much the main man now
2:19:03 > 2:19:05but he will be learning so much off those players
2:19:05 > 2:19:07and playing in that type of environment.
2:19:07 > 2:19:09I feel I've settled in well now.
2:19:09 > 2:19:11I think it was a lot more difficult at the start
2:19:11 > 2:19:14but half of the players spoke very good English.
2:19:14 > 2:19:17I obviously knew Luca Modric from Tottenham.
2:19:17 > 2:19:21Cristiano obviously speaks English, which helped me settle in a lot
2:19:21 > 2:19:23easier. But I came in. I was excited to be there
2:19:23 > 2:19:25and wanted to prove myself
2:19:25 > 2:19:29and, yeah, they were a great bunch of lads who made me feel
2:19:29 > 2:19:31very welcome straight away.
2:19:31 > 2:19:33He's a fantastic player, fantastic talent,
2:19:33 > 2:19:37and I think my experience with him at Real Madrid was really good
2:19:37 > 2:19:41because I think it's not easy for a player that comes in another
2:19:41 > 2:19:45country but the first year, he did really, really well
2:19:45 > 2:19:48and he showed fantastic quality.
2:19:50 > 2:19:53COMMENTATORS SPEAK SPANISH
2:19:59 > 2:20:03Real Madrid have been obsessed with winning the 10th European Cup
2:20:03 > 2:20:04for over a decade.
2:20:04 > 2:20:07On the day that Gareth Bale was presented as a Real Madrid player,
2:20:07 > 2:20:10the president gave him the normal spiel, which he always
2:20:10 > 2:20:11gives the players, which is,
2:20:11 > 2:20:13"Here you are to win things for Real Madrid,
2:20:13 > 2:20:17"and the thing we are most interested in is the European Cup."
2:20:17 > 2:20:18What is it, nine months later,
2:20:18 > 2:20:21Gareth scores the winning goal in Lisbon to win the European Cup,
2:20:21 > 2:20:25having already scored a ridiculously good goal to win the Copa Del Rey
2:20:25 > 2:20:28final as well. I think in those terms, at least,
2:20:28 > 2:20:30you couldn't wish for a better debut season.
2:20:33 > 2:20:36A first season in white and down the line...
2:20:36 > 2:20:37# Listen, baby... #
2:20:37 > 2:20:41..an experienced campaigner about to turn red hot for Wales.
2:20:41 > 2:20:44Beat Belgium in Cardiff, and Wales could dream dreams
2:20:44 > 2:20:46as big as anyone's.
2:20:46 > 2:20:48Gareth Bale interception!
2:20:48 > 2:20:53And he scores on his 50th appearance for his country.
2:20:54 > 2:20:57The gaffer said, "Leave it all out on the field,"
2:20:57 > 2:20:59and I couldn't have run any more, to be honest,
2:20:59 > 2:21:02and especially not having played in two or three weeks.
2:21:02 > 2:21:05Yeah, it was obviously nice to get the victory on my 50th cap
2:21:05 > 2:21:08as well and, yeah, I'll celebrate in style.
2:21:08 > 2:21:11# Ain't no river wide enough
2:21:11 > 2:21:14# To keep me from getting to you, baby... #
2:21:14 > 2:21:16Things to do in football -
2:21:16 > 2:21:19tick off the games, seize the moment.
2:21:19 > 2:21:21Now here is Richards on the edge of the penalty area.
2:21:21 > 2:21:24Sweeps it towards Bale for a header!
2:21:27 > 2:21:29Gareth Bale, would you believe it?
2:21:29 > 2:21:32A man on a mission to take Wales to France.
2:21:32 > 2:21:35I consider him... I could be biased possibly but I don't think
2:21:35 > 2:21:39I'm being biased in saying he's one of the best in the world.
2:21:39 > 2:21:44So, it's a huge privilege to have in our team, in our camp.
2:21:44 > 2:21:47I've always said what's amazing about Gareth, when he turns up,
2:21:47 > 2:21:51is he's here to give absolutely everything for his country.
2:21:51 > 2:21:54I think you can see from not just the last few years with Wales
2:21:54 > 2:21:57but especially the qualifying campaign, just how important
2:21:57 > 2:22:00he is to us and will be, I'm sure again, in the tournament.
2:22:04 > 2:22:07Making the Welsh dream come true.
2:22:07 > 2:22:12But back in Madrid, he caught a strain of second season blues.
2:22:34 > 2:22:36Should he shoot? Should he pass?
2:22:36 > 2:22:40Had the 85-million-quid Bale forgotten how to kick the ball?
2:22:41 > 2:22:44A few Real Madrid fans decided to remind him.
2:22:45 > 2:22:49The flipside of obsession - the other face of Spanish passion.
2:23:04 > 2:23:07Still a headline act, just very different headlines.
2:23:08 > 2:23:11"Marca" means score
2:23:11 > 2:23:14and the press had a target, no doubt.
2:23:14 > 2:23:17Doubts and dips in form are good for business.
2:23:19 > 2:23:23I think it's not the fault of the people.
2:23:23 > 2:23:25Let's say, it's not that the people expect too much.
2:23:25 > 2:23:30But is the question that Gareth Bale didn't give enough
2:23:30 > 2:23:34to Real Madrid fans in the second season?
2:23:34 > 2:23:36I think it's a fault...
2:23:36 > 2:23:40In this sense, it's the fault of Gareth Bale.
2:23:40 > 2:23:43For me, the media thing is not a big deal whatsoever.
2:23:43 > 2:23:47I think if I'm not playing well, I know myself and I know myself that
2:23:47 > 2:23:52I will want to play better and I put myself under pressure to do that.
2:23:53 > 2:23:57I think that because Gareth isn't Spanish, because Gareth doesn't
2:23:57 > 2:24:01speak Spanish and doesn't engage with the media, I think it makes it
2:24:01 > 2:24:04almost too easy for them when things go wrong for him to be attacked.
2:24:04 > 2:24:07I think there are some Spanish players who are protected
2:24:07 > 2:24:08a little more.
2:24:08 > 2:24:12I also think there is an inescapable reality, which is that Gareth Bale
2:24:12 > 2:24:15is the most expensive player in footballing history
2:24:15 > 2:24:17and that brings with it enormous demands.
2:24:17 > 2:24:20It's natural that people don't just want to be very good indeed,
2:24:20 > 2:24:22they want to be absolutely fantastic.
2:24:22 > 2:24:25Keeping the fans happy, Spanish-style.
2:25:04 > 2:25:06But doubts tend to hang around.
2:25:06 > 2:25:09The rumours started that there was friction between the Welshman
2:25:09 > 2:25:13and the Portuguese megastar, Cristiano Ronaldo.
2:25:16 > 2:25:18Inside the locker room, for Real Madrid,
2:25:18 > 2:25:22you cannot find many Ronaldo friends.
2:25:22 > 2:25:26I mean... Because Ronaldo is like an independent republic
2:25:26 > 2:25:29inside the locker room.
2:25:30 > 2:25:35Probably he has only one or two close friends, not many.
2:25:37 > 2:25:41The media tries to create something that's not there and we've said
2:25:41 > 2:25:46many times, both of us, that we get on fine, we get on well.
2:25:46 > 2:25:49The most important thing is the football, and we try
2:25:49 > 2:25:50and win games and trophies.
2:25:50 > 2:25:53There was a great comment from Cristiano Ronaldo earlier
2:25:53 > 2:25:56this year when he was asked about the way that Neymar,
2:25:56 > 2:25:59Suarez and Messi get on, and they are clearly very good friends.
2:25:59 > 2:26:01Why doesn't this happen with Bale, Benzemar and Ronaldo?
2:26:01 > 2:26:05And he said, "We don't need little hugs and kisses to prove that we get on."
2:26:05 > 2:26:07I think Gareth has had to learn the hard way.
2:26:07 > 2:26:10I think that, last year, in Madrid, and going through that
2:26:10 > 2:26:13experience of the fans being a little bit up and down
2:26:13 > 2:26:16after being so pro-Gareth, I think he would have grown
2:26:16 > 2:26:19as a player and as a man, really.
2:26:20 > 2:26:22The game of contrasts -
2:26:22 > 2:26:25white and red, struggle and glory,
2:26:25 > 2:26:27Spain and Wales.
2:26:27 > 2:26:29Thinking of home can help.
2:26:29 > 2:26:34I always had the thought that I had an opportunity two, three weeks,
2:26:34 > 2:26:37whatever it was, to go back and play for Wales
2:26:37 > 2:26:40and that always sustained me when sometimes I was out there
2:26:40 > 2:26:43and wasn't playing particularly well or there was a bit of press
2:26:43 > 2:26:47going against you, which at times it has gone against Gareth as well.
2:26:47 > 2:26:50I always had that thing in the back of my mind -
2:26:50 > 2:26:53I've got a Welsh game coming up and it should get me back on track.
2:26:57 > 2:27:01And it's not just home for the big occasion. Little surprise visits.
2:27:01 > 2:27:04- Who's probably hit the best shots that you can think of?- Bale.
2:27:04 > 2:27:06'Of course, you always miss home. Home is home,
2:27:06 > 2:27:08'and you can never change that.
2:27:08 > 2:27:10'Whenever I get the chance to go home, I always do.'
2:27:10 > 2:27:12- Right, guys? - THEY GASP
2:27:12 > 2:27:14D'you mind if I join in?
2:27:18 > 2:27:22It's something I enjoy doing, I like giving back to the community.
2:27:22 > 2:27:25It is great to see kids obviously enjoying their football.
2:27:25 > 2:27:28If I can help in any way, that is what I try to do.
2:27:32 > 2:27:37I think, when he meets up with the international boys,
2:27:37 > 2:27:39no-one there thinks, "Oh, my God, it is
2:27:39 > 2:27:42"Gareth Bale, the superstar who plays for Real Madrid."
2:27:42 > 2:27:46You'd think he played down the road for Cardiff City or Swansea City,
2:27:46 > 2:27:49that is just how he is, he is very down to earth.
2:27:49 > 2:27:52That is a difficult thing because I think
2:27:52 > 2:27:56when you have amazing things happen to you, like playing for one
2:27:56 > 2:27:59of the best clubs in the world, playing in the Premier League,
2:27:59 > 2:28:02those kind of things can change you as a person.
2:28:02 > 2:28:03But not him.
2:28:04 > 2:28:08Back to the more straightforward story of qualifying for the Euros.
2:28:08 > 2:28:09Or was it?
2:28:09 > 2:28:13A win in Zenica against Bosnia-Herzegovina
2:28:13 > 2:28:15and Wales were through. Simple.
2:28:15 > 2:28:17But they lost 2-0...
2:28:19 > 2:28:22..and then heard that Cyprus had just won in Jerusalem.
2:28:26 > 2:28:31That result in Israel means the celebrations can still start.
2:28:31 > 2:28:36Wales will be in France next summer.
2:28:36 > 2:28:39Everybody knows how much it means to me to play for Wales and,
2:28:39 > 2:28:42yeah, to create history for the country,
2:28:42 > 2:28:45and to qualify is obviously something special.
2:28:50 > 2:28:54Just for once, there was a game without strain.
2:28:54 > 2:28:58The final group game against Andorra in Cardiff.
2:28:59 > 2:29:04A qualifier with qualification already settled. Party time.
2:29:06 > 2:29:10Low ball into the penalty area. Gareth Bale turns!
2:29:10 > 2:29:13- Oh, Gareth Bale... - COMMENTATOR SPEAKS WELSH
2:29:19 > 2:29:23It has been a long process but I think, obviously,
2:29:23 > 2:29:25credit goes mostly to Chris Coleman.
2:29:25 > 2:29:29I think he has really pushed us on and made us really kick on
2:29:29 > 2:29:31and have that belief in ourselves.
2:29:32 > 2:29:35Over the years, we have grown together,
2:29:35 > 2:29:37we have grown more experienced,
2:29:37 > 2:29:39we have got used to how international football is played
2:29:39 > 2:29:41and I think that is showing now,
2:29:41 > 2:29:43we have got all the experience behind us.
2:29:43 > 2:29:47We have all been together for such a long time, we get on really well, we
2:29:47 > 2:29:51know each other's games and we all fight for each other on the pitch.
2:29:51 > 2:29:52We all feel like brothers,
2:29:52 > 2:29:56we all work for each other and the bond we have as a group in the
2:29:56 > 2:30:00changing rooms and the hotels is nothing like I have seen before.
2:30:00 > 2:30:02I think it is a big reason why we are doing well.
2:30:04 > 2:30:06Things to do in football -
2:30:06 > 2:30:10safely tuck away a penalty and win the Champions League...again.
2:30:12 > 2:30:16This was a performance that had its cramp, its worries for Wales.
2:30:16 > 2:30:19But that was consummate and ended a marathon
2:30:19 > 2:30:22in Milan with smiles all round.
2:30:22 > 2:30:25All is well in Spain.
2:31:13 > 2:31:16I am sure he is going to be here for a long time. I hope so.
2:31:16 > 2:31:19He can be one of those stars that fans will
2:31:19 > 2:31:23remember in the future, for a long time.
2:31:24 > 2:31:28That could be fantastic for him and also for the club.
2:31:30 > 2:31:33Things to do in football -
2:31:33 > 2:31:36play for your country in the finals of a major championship.
2:31:38 > 2:31:40And hang on every name coming out of the draw.
2:31:42 > 2:31:44L'Angleterre.
2:31:44 > 2:31:46In pot number one...
2:31:48 > 2:31:51- ..Angleterre.- England.
2:31:53 > 2:31:57- Wales.- Oh!
2:31:57 > 2:31:58Wales...
2:32:00 > 2:32:03Russia and Slovakia came out of the hat too.
2:32:03 > 2:32:07But the second round in Group B comes with a tingle.
2:32:07 > 2:32:09Wales against England.
2:32:09 > 2:32:12In the old coal city of Lens.
2:32:12 > 2:32:14There's a shot by Harry Kane!
2:32:14 > 2:32:16That's four for England.
2:32:18 > 2:32:20Probably the biggest game in the tournament so far.
2:32:20 > 2:32:23I think if you're looking at the fixture list,
2:32:23 > 2:32:25yeah, one we are all excited for.
2:32:25 > 2:32:27We know it is going to be a difficult game,
2:32:27 > 2:32:30England are a very good side, as well as ourselves.
2:32:30 > 2:32:32We will be going into it looking forward to it,
2:32:32 > 2:32:34trying to enjoy it and hopefully we can get the win.
2:32:34 > 2:32:38Lens, not too far into France, beyond the Channel Tunnel,
2:32:38 > 2:32:41where England will have to contain Gareth Bale.
2:32:41 > 2:32:43I don't know how they are going to cope with him.
2:32:43 > 2:32:47I imagine this is a conversation that most clubs have had over
2:32:47 > 2:32:48a number of years.
2:32:48 > 2:32:50Because he is not just quick and strong,
2:32:50 > 2:32:53because he has the ability to hit shots from 25, 30 yards,
2:32:53 > 2:32:56he can adapt his game to any way of trying to stop him.
2:32:56 > 2:32:57Bale all the way!
2:32:57 > 2:32:59Never in doubt.
2:32:59 > 2:33:03So, erm, I am really not sure, actually!
2:33:03 > 2:33:06I worry for them a little bit, now I have just spoken about it!
2:33:07 > 2:33:12The taming of the Bale. If you can't beat him...
2:33:13 > 2:33:16Look, there is a very easy way to get me to play for your team.
2:33:16 > 2:33:18How?
2:33:18 > 2:33:19Support Wales.
2:33:19 > 2:33:22Can't do any worse than England.
2:33:22 > 2:33:24Support Wales?
2:33:24 > 2:33:29Gareth, I am a proud Englishman. Support Wales!
2:33:29 > 2:33:32I haven't heard anything so preposterous in my life.
2:33:32 > 2:33:35Three lions on a shirt, mate, that's me.
2:33:35 > 2:33:37Gareth? I was only joking.
2:33:40 > 2:33:45Ten years on, from the youngest ever at that time,
2:33:45 > 2:33:47to the guiding light of his age.
2:33:49 > 2:33:52Just how big dare we dream?
2:33:54 > 2:33:59For Wales, it will be more difficult to be competitive
2:33:59 > 2:34:04but he has brought his nation to play the European Cup
2:34:04 > 2:34:07and I think Bale can do a fantastic Euro.
2:34:08 > 2:34:12He is a special player and he can make the difference in any game.
2:34:12 > 2:34:16Suddenly Gareth gets on it and, bang, 25, 30 yards,
2:34:16 > 2:34:18he can pick one out in the top corner.
2:34:18 > 2:34:21Or go and beat two or three players, he can change everything
2:34:21 > 2:34:22in a flash.
2:34:22 > 2:34:26To have that in your team is a real bonus.
2:34:26 > 2:34:29He will be seen as one of the major players in the tournament, I'm sure.
2:34:29 > 2:34:33He is one of the top five or six best players in the world, for me.
2:34:33 > 2:34:37Everyone is going to be looking to him in the tournament, to see
2:34:37 > 2:34:39what he does.
2:34:39 > 2:34:41Every single training session and every game,
2:34:41 > 2:34:44there's definitely a Gareth Bale moment where you just think, "Wow!"
2:34:44 > 2:34:46He is superhuman at times.
2:34:46 > 2:34:48It's nice to be on the same pitch as him sometimes.
2:34:48 > 2:34:51When you think back to some of the things he's done with Wales,
2:34:51 > 2:34:54some of the games he's played, some of the goals he's scored,
2:34:54 > 2:34:56it is unbelievable. He is the top level.
2:34:56 > 2:34:58He is one of the best players in the world.
2:34:58 > 2:35:01I think it depends on how that Wales team play to his strengths.
2:35:01 > 2:35:05If they can just get the ball to him as much as they can
2:35:05 > 2:35:08and defend as well as they can, Gareth will do the rest.
2:35:08 > 2:35:09He could light the Euros up.
2:35:09 > 2:35:13If he gets space and he gets time to run at the opposition,
2:35:13 > 2:35:16whether it is England, where it is Barcelona,
2:35:16 > 2:35:19whether it is whoever, Gareth Bale can win any game of football
2:35:19 > 2:35:21because he is a genius.
2:35:21 > 2:35:23We're not going there just to make up the numbers,
2:35:23 > 2:35:25we want to win every game that we play,
2:35:25 > 2:35:28we want to win the group, we want to give ourselves the best chance.
2:35:28 > 2:35:31No matter who we play, we feel confident in our abilities,
2:35:31 > 2:35:35that we can win, and we'll go out there to try and do that.