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“ GARETH BALE BREAKS RECORD “

Thu Mar 22, 2018 1:33 pm

“ GARETH BALE BREAKS RECORD “


BBC

Thursday 22nd March 2018


Gareth Bale has become Wales' all-time record goalscorer with 29 international goals, breaking Ian Rush's record.

Bale's hat-trick against China, in Ryan Giggs' first game in charge, was his 27th, 28th and record-breaking 29th international goals.

It has taken Bale 69 appearances to break Rush's record, which the former Liverpool striker reached in 66 games.

It was also the first Welsh hat-trick since Robert Earnshaw scored three times against Scotland in 2004.

Bale's first goal for Wales came back in October 2006 when the then 17-year-old curled in a consolation free-kick against Slovakia in a 5-1 defeat.

Ten years later and Bale would score Wales' first goal at a major tournament since 1958.

Once again, a left-footed free-kick against Slovakia would be the recipe for success, but this time Wales would go on to win and begin what was a memorable Euro 2016 campaign.

At the age of 28, Bale, who has been stuck on 26 international goals since November 2016, will almost certainly go on to extend the record even further.

His last hat-trick for his club side Real Madrid was against Deportiva La Coruna on 9 January 2016.