Euro 2016: England will have to adapt to handle Wales' Bale, says John Hartson

Former striker delighted his country have finally reached major tournament - even though he missed out, he tells Matt Gatward

Gareth Bale in action for Wales (Getty)

John Hartson could be forgiven for being bitter. After over 50 caps for Wales and numerous failed attempts to qualify for a major tournament, Uefa goes and moves the Euro qualification goalposts shortly after he has hung up his boots so that any old Tom, Dick or Harry can join the party. And Wales duly do.

Not only that but Hartson was assistant manager to Chris Coleman at the start of this qualification campaign but baled to sign a BBC contract. Again, party missed. Back in 1997, the striker left Arsenal with three years left on his contract, the next season they won the Double…

But Hartson is not the begrudging type. As a proud Welshman he, of course, is delighted for his countrymen having qualified for Euro 2016 and doesn’t believe that the expanded format - 24 teams, not 16 - made reaching France a gimme.

“This group deserves a lot of credit,” Hartson tells The Independent of Coleman and Co. “It’s been long overdue. We’ve had some fantastic players and teams in the past but this group has got to the Holy Grail.

“I was part of the Wales set up to assist Chris and one of our first games was Serbia away and we got hammered 6-1 [in 2012]. The dressing room was very flat, there were calls for Chris’ head. He deserves credit for turning that around. And now they’ve had a wonderful qualifying campaign: four points off Belgium, the No 2 team in the world, six clean sheets in 10 games and only lost once.”

Hartson attributes the success to a number of factors and one is fairly obvious. “The format changing is one,” he says, “but it’s having a super star like Gareth Bale. He is exceptional every time he puts on a red shirt. Wales scored 11 goals in the qualifiers, Gareth scored 9. He drives other people on, raises their game, like Giggs used to do. If Ryan wanted to pass to me, I'm thinking Giggs is playing with Cantona, Cole and Yorke most weekends, I’ve got to step up. Gareth has a big influence on the team.”

But it’s no one-man band in Hartson’s opinion. “Ashley Williams is a rock,” he adds. “They have a good goalkeeper in Wayne Hennessy, Ben Davis cost Spurs £10m, James Collins has the heart of lion at West Ham, Aaron Ramsey, Joe Allen…”

It is an impressive list. But Wales had impressive lists in Hartson’s day and before: Hughes, Southall, Radcliffe, Rush, Speed, Bellamy, Giggs… Hughes’s side were runners-up in qualification for Euro 2004 in Portugal - they even beat Italy during the group stage - but lost to Russia in a play-off. Why could they not cross the line?

“We came close,” Hartson says. “Maybe as a unit Wales never managed to be good enough to get 11 players all working to a system. In 2003 we had a wonderful team, great spirit under Hughes, we beat Italy with Del Piero, Buffon, Nesta, Cannavaro was all over my back that night. But we never really grasped the opportunity we had.

“There’s no point me going on about the format or the old days, better players, the proof is in the pudding. This group have done something that all those other players failed to do. This time they've got the magician Bale… but we had Hughes at Bayern Munich and Man United! We had Rush at Liverpool and Juventus - the best young player on the planet in Giggs starring for United. But for whatever reason…”

As assistant coach, Hartson has seen the Bale effect and playing for serial Champions League winners Real Madrid has not affected him. He’s still just a boy from Cardiff. “He loves playing for Wales,” Hartson says. “He’s a Cardiff lad, his parents live in Wales. Chris gives him a bit of time off - the odd afternoon to go and visit his parents which he likes. He's away from all the pressures in Madrid. He doesn't bring a big entourage, he's got his wife, his two kids, his mum and dad. He’s a very humble guy.”

Watch out England then and that June 16 encounter in Lens. “Gareth is the best player in the group,” Hartson says. “England will have to make tactical changes to look after Bale. They can’t let him have a free run at them. Roy Hodgson will double up on the right but Gareth can roam, move to the right and cut in.”

John Hartson celebrates scoring for Wales against Belarus in 2001 (Getty)

It promises to be some fixture and a man who played in two of them - in qualifying for the 2006 World Cup - agrees. He puts the fixtures he played in up there with his proudest moment: his goalscoring debut against his Scottish then-Wimbledon team-mates Andy Sullivan and Brian McAllister that caused a stir when he returned to training. “It will be a great game,” he says. “Great for the fans. I was lucky, I played England twice for Wales, OK, we lost at Old Trafford and in Cardiff but they were great experiences. The roof nearly came off in Cardiff. It’s special every time you play for your country but when you face England there is that little bit of added spice.

“Wales is very much looking forward to this as a nation: we’ve waited 58 years.The pressure will be on England who are coming off a terrible World Cup. With Wales, it’s pressure off.”

Regardless of the England result, Hartson believes Wales will qualify from the group. If they beat Slovakia first they will be all but through with the top two and four best third-placed teams qualifying for the round of 16. “If we can really go for it against Slovakia and get three points we probably only need a draw against England or Russia. Four points will take you through. We finish with Russia, who by the time we play them may have been softened up by England.”

Doesn’t it make a mockery of the tournament, though, that you can qualify with four points? “It gives the lesser nations an opportunity,” Hartson counters. “I think it’s great. It’s not all about the big boys all the time. It’s been massive for a country like Wales.”

So it’s all a good thing then? Well, not all. Hartson will be commentating for the BBC and has one fixture he knows he must prepare for. “I’m doing Hungary v Finland,” he says. “I only know Zoltan Gera!”

John Hartson is supporting Currys PC World Ultimate Home of Football tour this summer. To experience all the action in the latest 4K TV and Audio tech visit www.currys.co.uk/footballwin