THE AGENT OF Gareth Bale says the Real Madrid star’s decision to pick Wales over England cost him “millions” in sponsorship deals.
Speaking at the Soccerex Convention in Manchester as quoted by The Independent, Jonathan Barnett said he attempted to persuade Bale to declare for England, explaining:
“When we first got together when he was 15, we talked about whether he was going to play for England or Wales. I nearly got my head bitten off by his dad, who is fanatically Welsh, and his mum.
“He could have qualified through his grandmother and I tell you that it has cost him millions and millions of pounds. You can imagine what it would have been like if he were playing for England next summer in the Euros… but he does love playing for Wales.”
The quotes could be bad news for Ireland fans, with Barnett also the agent of Jack Grealish.
Judging by the Bale comments, Barnett has presumably also made Grealish aware of the lucrative opportunities that representing England would potentially entail.
The 19-year-old Aston Villa midfielder is expected to confirm whether he will play for Ireland or England at senior level in the next month.
