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Why didn't Gareth Bale choose to play for England?
I think he is a world-class player but imo he bottled it just like Ryan Giggs did all those years ago by choosing to play for Wales instead of England.
Wales will unlikely ever qualify for a world cup or european championship, whereas Engalnd usually qualify and are one of the outside favourites to win the tournaments after the usual suspects such as Spain, Germany, Italy, Brazil etc. Plus Bale is a great player and would much improve England as he is better than any other left footed players (Stewart Downing! give me a break
)
Wales will unlikely ever qualify for a world cup or european championship, whereas Engalnd usually qualify and are one of the outside favourites to win the tournaments after the usual suspects such as Spain, Germany, Italy, Brazil etc. Plus Bale is a great player and would much improve England as he is better than any other left footed players (Stewart Downing! give me a break
)Scroll to see replies
Original post by David9
I think he is a world-class player but imo he bottled it just like Ryan Giggs did all those years ago by choosing to play for Wales instead of England.
Wales will unlikely ever qualify for a world cup or european championship, whereas Engalnd usually qualify and are one of the outside favourites to win the tournaments after the usual suspects such as Spain, Germany, Italy, Brazil etc. Plus Bale is a great player and would much improve England as he is better than any other left footed players (Stewart Downing! give me a break )
Wales will unlikely ever qualify for a world cup or european championship, whereas Engalnd usually qualify and are one of the outside favourites to win the tournaments after the usual suspects such as Spain, Germany, Italy, Brazil etc. Plus Bale is a great player and would much improve England as he is better than any other left footed players (Stewart Downing! give me a break
)I'm not sure he is allowed to play for England for a start.
Reply 3
Because he is Welsh (and would prefer to play for his country).
Original post by fletchdd02
I'm not sure he is allowed to play for England for a start.
Because England is not a country, no-one has an "English passport", they have a "British passport". So, as the UK comprises England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, anyone from the UK can choose to represent any of them at football because they are all the same country.
Reply 5
Original post by David9
Because England is not a country, no-one has an "English passport", they have a "British passport". So, as the UK comprises England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, anyone from the UK can choose to represent any of them at football because they are all the same country.
Except the relevant associations have an agreement in place so what you said is not the case.
Reply 6
Because he is Welsh.
Reply 8
Original post by David9
Because England is not a country, no-one has an "English passport", they have a "British passport". So, as the UK comprises England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, anyone from the UK can choose to represent any of them at football because they are all the same country.
Yes but the agreement is that players can only represent the country of their birth or that of a grandparents birth.
I'm not certain he was able to play for England, and as for the mention of Giggs - he was never eligible to play for England.
Reply 9
He bottled it because he wanted play for the country he was born and grew up in? Please explain the logic behind that.
And anyone from the UK can no choose to play for any of the home nations. Like mentioned earlier, the FA, SFA, FAW and IFA have an agreement in place so that is not the case.
And anyone from the UK can no choose to play for any of the home nations. Like mentioned earlier, the FA, SFA, FAW and IFA have an agreement in place so that is not the case.
Reply 10
Gareth Bale went to the same high school as me. He's from Cardiff. Just because he plays for an English club doesn't mean he's decided to snub England for Wales; he can't play for England.
Reply 12
Original post by David9
Because England is not a country, no-one has an "English passport", they have a "British passport". So, as the UK comprises England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, anyone from the UK can choose to represent any of them at football because they are all the same country.
England is not a country?
Reply 13
Probably he never expected to actually be this good at football? 
Original post by David9
Original post by David9
Because England is not a country, no-one has an "English passport", they have a "British passport". So, as the UK comprises England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, anyone from the UK can choose to represent any of them at football because they are all the same country.
Errrrrr, according to FIFA - England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are all different countries and all players bear FIFA nationalities e.g. Wayne Rooney was born in Liverpool and therefore is able to play for England according to FIFA. There is no 'British' nationality in FIFA as there is not 'British' team. Gareth Bale was born in Wales, and is eligible to play for Wales's team only. If he had an English parent, he would be able to play for England. Slightly similar to Owen Hargreaves who could have played for Canada, England or Germany and chose England. Another more recent example is Jerome and Kevin-Prince Baoteng.
Also, England is a country.
Reply 15
England never wins anyway...why go to a loosing team? He has his whole life ahead of him and you want him to go to a crappy team that struggles against other crap teams....that other countries easily dust.
Reply 16
Original post by David9
I think he is a world-class player but imo he bottled it just like Ryan Giggs did all those years ago by choosing to play for Wales instead of England.
Wales will unlikely ever qualify for a world cup or european championship, whereas Engalnd usually qualify and are one of the outside favourites to win the tournaments after the usual suspects such as Spain, Germany, Italy, Brazil etc. Plus Bale is a great player and would much improve England as he is better than any other left footed players (Stewart Downing! give me a break )
Wales will unlikely ever qualify for a world cup or european championship, whereas Engalnd usually qualify and are one of the outside favourites to win the tournaments after the usual suspects such as Spain, Germany, Italy, Brazil etc. Plus Bale is a great player and would much improve England as he is better than any other left footed players (Stewart Downing! give me a break
)He is Welsh, it's that simple. Yes he technically qualifies to play for England thanks to one grandparent but that doesn't mean he would want to. The vast majority of players would choose to play for the nation that they are from rather than the one that they qualify for through a relation.
Reply 17
Original post by RP-MRU.
Errrrrr, according to FIFA - England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are all different countries and all players bear FIFA nationalities e.g. Wayne Rooney was born in Liverpool and therefore is able to play for England according to FIFA. There is no 'British' nationality in FIFA as there is not 'British' team. Gareth Bale was born in Wales, and is eligible to play for Wales's team only. If he had an English parent, he would be able to play for England. Slightly similar to Owen Hargreaves who could have played for Canada, England or Germany and chose England. Another more recent example is Jerome and Kevin-Prince Baoteng.
Also, England is a country.
Also, England is a country.
He has an English grandmother so is eligable to play for England.
Reply 18
Original post by David9
Because England is not a country, no-one has an "English passport", they have a "British passport". So, as the UK comprises England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, anyone from the UK can choose to represent any of them at football because they are all the same country.
its only channel islanders, naturalised immigrants and manx who are allowed to choose which UK constituent they represent without restriction
Original post by mackemforever
Original post by mackemforever
He has an English grandmother so is eligable to play for England.
Okay fair point. However, I was pointing out that what the OP stated was wrong - any player born in the UK cannot represent all of the teams that the UK is made up of, only the country of birth.
If he has an English grandmother, he is eligible to play for England and I guess he just doesn't want to or doesn't consider himself English enough. Besides, you won't get the answer on TSR, you'll have to ask the man himself if you want an answer.
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