What exactly does the phrase “world-class footballer’’ mean? I struggled for a definition until someone came up with: “A player you could put in your World XI without anybody laughing.”
Anyone who laughed at the selection of Gareth Bale now would be telling us more about himself than the Welshman.
Bale’s performance in the 2-0 defeat in Croatia last night was at least the equal of his match-winning masterclass against Scotland. If ever Ryan Giggs put together as dazzling a pair of displays for his country, no one told me about it.
Harry Redknapp spoke of Bale in the same breath of Cristiano Ronaldo and that was hardly risible either, even if Bale has yet to score a goal a match for Tottenham over more than two seasons, as Ronaldo has done for Real. Bale runs like the wind, fights like a terrier and plays like an angel. And he is still aged only 23.
Bale would already get into any club side in the world because he can fill virtually any position on the pitch. Real could use him in Angel di Maria’s role as a wide attacker; Barcelona would probably have him at left-back. At Manchester United or Arsenal, he could take his pick.
And Chelsea? This brings us to Ashley Cole, one of only two other world-class players available to the home nations. Joe Hart has surely established himself as the other, while the jury remains out on Wayne Rooney and twilight advances on Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard.
This would be my draft World XI of current times, in a 4-2-3-1 formation: Hart/Buffon/Casillas; Dani Alves/Lahm, Pique, Pepe, Cole; Xabi Alonso, Iniesta; Ronaldo, Messi, Bale; Falcao.
The front four is the easiest bit. But bear this in mind — a couple of years ago, right-back would have been as simple a choice as most. Until the hitherto majestic Maicon ran into Gareth Bale.
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