Gareth Bale has dropped a major hint he is considering a sensational move to Wrexham. It comes after months of speculation the former Wales captain could be tempted to join the Reynolds/McElhenney project.
Wrexham are back in the Football League for the first time in 15 years and the only way is up. There’s been no slowing the Welsh club down since Hollywood pair Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took over in 2020.
The Red Dragons sealed promotion from the National League last season with a record 111 points. Attention now turns to League Two, the fourth tier of English football, where Wrexham will be playing in 2023/2024.
Speculation is rife about summer transfers and who the club might sign. Stars like Paul Mullin and Ben Foster are all committed to the club for next season and beyond, but it’s crucial Wrexham bring in quality players in order to compete next year.
Real Madrid and Wales legend has been strongly linked to Wrexham
Real Madrid and Wales legend Gareth Bale is probably the most decorated player to have been linked with Wrexham in recent months.
The idea of Bale playing for Wrexham next season started on social media when he congratulated Rob McElhenney for the club’s promotion.
“Hi Rob, just want to congratulate you on your promotion and everything you’re doing at Wrexham,” Bale said in a viral video.
McElhenney then responded: “Hey Gareth Bale let’s play golf, where I totally won’t spend 4 hours trying to convince you to un-retire for one last magical season.”
Ryan Reynolds then got in on the action, photoshopping a picture of Bale in a Wrexham shirt and posting it on social media pages with the caption ‘What if.’
“Waiting for the call”: Gareth Bale drops major hint about potential Wrexham move
While a move for Bale may seem like little more than a pipe dream, the man himself recently gave a strong indication that he might actually be considering it.
In celebration of the 2023 US Open this weekend, Bale played a round of golf at the The Los Angeles Country Club (LACC) with filmmaker Erik Anders Lang.
The Welshman tested out the layout of LACC in a video posted to Random Golf Club’s YouTube channel. Just after the pair had finished the 8th hole, a spectator drove past Bale in a golf buggy and said, “You have to come out of retirement, you have to play for Wrexham man”.
Bale gave a wry smile before replying, “I’m waiting for the call.”
The ex-Madrid icon has been extremely tight lipped about a move to Wrexham until this point. While it may just be a passing comment, it could indicate the 5x Champions League winner is genuinely be tempted by the idea.
You can watch him discuss Wrexham around the 25:00 minute mark in the video below.
Bale’s agent recently poured cold water on the idea
The comment comes after Bales agent, Jonathan Barnett, shut down rumours of a move to Wrexham, saying that Gareth simply no longer has the desire or fitness to play again.
He told Sky Sports: “I think for him, it [retirement] was the right time.
“He’s achieved everything he wanted to achieve – he played for Wales at the highest level of the World Cup, which is what he really wanted to do. And I think he knew his body wasn’t up to it anymore. He’s had a hard time with his body the last few years.
“He’s flattered by the offers but they’ve all been tongue-in-cheek, he’s having a great life at the moment and it’s well deserved. [Bale’s] been the best British footballer, probably ever.
“They [Rob and Ryan] haven’t actually spoken to me, they may have spoken to Gareth. But Gareth doesn’t want to play football any more. He’s had a great career, he enjoyed himself but he’s living a great life now. He’s with his family, which is the most important thing. [Gareth’s] spending a lot of time with his children and that’s what he wants to do. He’ll do obviously do other things later down the line.”
It remains to be seen if Bale would consider coming out of retirement to play at the Racecourse Ground next season. One thing you can be sure about is that every Wrexham fan would welcome him with open arms.