At a time when English Premier League clubs are being criticised for neglecting British talent, it was perhaps fitting that one of our best exports was scoring the winner in Saturday’s UEFA Champions League final.
While the talent pool in England grows smaller by the year, Gareth Bale is walking the lonely road as a Brit abroad with the world’s greatest football club Real Madrid.
Although not at his dazzling best against Atletico Madrid in Saturday’s final in Lisbon, the £84 million pound man grabbed what turned out to be the winning goal to deliver ‘La Decima’ for Real.
Add that to his stunning winner in the Spanish Cup final victory over Barcelona and you can consider Bale’s first season in Spain a resounding success.
But it begs the question: why do so few British players leave the goldfish bowl of the Premier League?
David Beckham, Michael Owen, Paul Ince and Jonathan Woodgate aside, I can’t remember many of our top players fleeing the nest.
While the England national team’s recent shortcomings on the world stage is often blamed on a perceived failure in our youth player development, the lack of top level talent trying their hand abroad is surely an issue too?
Going overseas and learning a new style of football clearly broadens the mind of players.
Take one of the best, Bale’s Real team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo, as the finest example.
The years he spent at Manchester United have helped mould him into the complete player.
The likes of Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard could all have picked their European club over the past decade, but huge wages and the lure of the Premier League won the day.
I can’t help but feel that the England (not to mention Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) national team would fare a lot better if a few of the key players followed Bale’s example and took the plunge.
