Anorak

Anorak News | Gareth Bale talks about loving Arsenal, not doing things and KIen Follett

Gareth Bale talks about loving Arsenal, not doing things and KIen Follett

by | 29th, January 2015

The Daily Mirror has transcribed Gareth Bale’s interview on Spanish radio. It wasn’t all that hard: Bale spoke in fluent English, throughout. The highlight picked out by all papers is that Bale used to enjoy watching Arsenal “a lot”. Bale, is, of course, a former Spurs player. But it’s no big shocker. Arsenal have played better and more succesful football than Spurs for so long their rivalry is largely the stuff of historical record.

 

For our money the highlights are these:

How are the Spanish classes going?

Well, I have classes two or three times a week and I understand more and talk more all the time.

Delivered in prefect English.

Tell me about the photo with you in a Real Madrid shirt when you were little?

I remember being on holiday here in Spain, I’d gone out with some friends and bought it. I took it back to Cardiff, from where I’m from, and wore it.

That’s kids for you. You want them to support Crystal Palace, Ipswich Town or Bournemouth. But the nippers go and buy the big team’s shirt.

Why did you like Real Madrid?

I just liked watching them on television. They had the best players, and played the best football. I watched a lot of football as a kid. When they played it was always an exciting game. I really liked Real Madrid…

[Laughs] I used to like Arsenal a lot, but when I moved to Tottenham of course I liked them less – but I really admired Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira, those kind of players. They were incredible.

This exchange is wonderfully banal. It’s as if the internet – even Wikipedia – never happened.

You made your debut for Wales at 16…

Yes, I made my full debut then, against Trinidad and Tobago.

And did you score from a free-kick?

No, not in that game, later on, at home against Slovakia.

But before the journalist sacks his reseachers, we hear

You moved from Southampton to Tottenham, in a big move. They paid a lot for you. Did you struggle to adapt?

What Bale, take a long time to adapt?

Two years and four months, 25 games and 1,533 minutes of action Gareth Bale was finally part of a winning Tottenham Hotspur team in the Barclays Premier League as they beat Burnley 5-0….  Bale came on as an 84th-minute substitute for Aaron Lennon to break his winless streak having joined Spurs from Southampton in May 2007.

And on it goes:

Is it colder in London?

Yes! A lot colder.

Are you enjoying the interview? Or is it like being at the dentists?

[Laughs] No, I’m fine. It’s great, of course.

And fianlly:

Do you like to read?

Not a lot.

What about Ken Follett who’s also Welsh?

I’ve heard of him, but I’ve not read anything by him.

Spanish radio. It sounds a lot better when you don’t know what they’re saying…

 



Posted: 29th, January 2015 | In: Arsenal, Sports, Spurs Comment | TrackBack | Permalink