CHRIS Coleman has rejected the suggestion that Gareth Bale’s comments on England showed a lack of respect.

Ahead of the two teams meeting in Thursday’s Group B encounter at Euro 2016, Real Madrid star Bale claimed that England don’t show the same passion and pride as Wales.

Three Lions boss Roy Hodgson reacted by labelling Bale’s words ‘disrespectful’ towards his players.

Coleman disagrees but says the match in Lens may well mean more to Wales than England.

“If you know Gareth, he is the most down to earth boy you could wish to meet. He is not a disrespectful kid,” said the Wales manager.

“I can understand where Roy was coming from, but I think Gareth meant it in in a ‘little old Wales’ way.

“I have said myself, for a long time, we have always settled for too little.

“We have settled for too long for, ‘we did really well, we nearly got something.’ Or, ‘we nearly got there’ and we have settled for that.

“To go that extra mile, we have got to be a bit different to what has gone before. We have got to want it a bit more. We have got to offer a bit more – because if you want it, you’ve got to give it.

“Gareth was simply saying, we are a small nation. We are a tight nation. Little things mean more to us than to the bigger nations.”

And Coleman has no doubts that Bale will back up his words with actions on the pitch.

“I don’t think Bale has got a problem with backing anything up,” he added.

“I think he looks forward to the great challenges, the big spotlight, and the pressure. If he didn’t enjoy it, then he wouldn’t be where he is.

“He will be relishing this challenge on Thursday.”

Asked if he was tempted to keep Bale as a striker rather than play him in behind a front man, Coleman said: “I am tempted. There’s an option there – or put him back in the normal role he plays for us.

“We have got between today and Thursday to work on one or two things.

“I was happy with him at the weekend – more than happy with him. He scored a great free-kick and had a couple of good chances.

“We have played him as a No.9 before and he never got a kick. We played him against Belgium and we couldn’t get the ball to him. So, that didn’t work so well.

“But at the weekend, he got his chances and he was effective. So, there will be a chat with him and we will look to see if we will keep him there or move him.”

South Wales Argus: