Burns: Bale's the Greatest British Player of All Time
Friday, 20th Jan 2023 10:12

Town wideman Wes Burns has hailed fellow countryman and recently-retired Welsh international Gareth Bale as the greatest British player of all time.

Bale, 33, announced earlier this month that he was hanging up his boots with immediate effect and when the tributes started to pour in, many agreed he was the best player ever to play for Wales.

But Burns has taken it a stage further. When asked to paint a picture of the player who was only 16 when handed his senior debut at first club Southampton by ex-Blues boss George Burley in April 2006, Burns said: “Oh, that’s a mad question.

“To be fair, it’s kind of hard to put into words what he’s done, not just for Welsh football, but for Wales in general. He’s put us on the biggest stages in world football in terms of the Euros and the World Cup.

“But it’s not only that, it’s just the way he has sort of paved the pathway for younger boys in Wales to kick on with football.

“Without him we’d probably still be where we were 10 or 15 years ago. Welsh football was a little bit gloom and doom back then.

“What a career he has had — and in my opinion he is the greatest British player of all time, just going on what he has achieved, what he’s won and what he’s done for the sport. Basically, that’s how I would sum him up.”

Burns has worked with Bale at close quarters during Welsh international get-togethers and, when asked what he was like to train with, responded: “To be fair, when we were away with Wales, a lot of the time it was very much a case of ‘Nobody go anywhere near Gaz’ because we didn’t want him to get injured.

“So, he was able to stroll through training and do what he wanted, but when he switched it on it was something for us to take a step back and just take in what he was able to do with a ball. I learned quite a lot from watching him. Even after training he would stay out and do a bit of work on his free-kicks and things like that.

“It always attracted a crowd of the lads, even if it was just him and a goalkeeper working together. The lads were always watching and trying to learn from him. He was a massive role model in terms of a learning curve.”

When asked to nominate Bale’s best-ever goal, Burns added: “I think just about everyone is going to say his best goal was the bicycle kick in the Champions League final for Real Madrid against Liverpool. Not only was it a bicycle kick, it was performed on the biggest club stage of them all and I really don’t think it can get any better than that.”

Photo: Matchday Images

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itsonlyme added 10:15 - Jan 20 No way! George Best, Jimmy Greaves to name but two who are way ahead of him!
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PaphosBlue added 10:23 - Jan 20 Obviously the best Welsh player ever and his trophies are testament to that but not the best British player ever
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trncbluearmy added 10:34 - Jan 20 Sorry Burnsy,not even the best Welsh player, let alone British which he is nowhere near
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BlueandTruesince82 added 10:39 - Jan 20 George Best. Its in his name. End of conversation
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number8 added 10:50 - Jan 20 Not even close. All the names above plus many more in front of him I'm sure. From my era of watching it's always been Gazza for me.
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Juggsy added 10:58 - Jan 20 He was a great player until he preferred golf about 7 years ago ....
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acj added 10:58 - Jan 20 Errrrr, George Best wasn't British though, he was from Northern Ireland. NI is part of the United Kingdom, but not on the island of Great Britain.
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Len_Brennan added 11:04 - Jan 20

To be fair to Wes, he does qualify the comment by saying "in my opinion he is the greatest British player of all time, JUST GOING ON WHAT HE HAS ACHIEVED, WHAT HE'S WON and what he's done for the sport".
In terms of pure natural ability & creativity it is hard to argue against George Best, but his career & achievements were seriously limited by his own excesses, Wes seems to be concentrating on things like the fact that Bale won both the PFA Players' Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year this same year, is Wales's most capped player & leading goalscorer & has won La Liga & the Spanish Cup and has won the Champions League 5 (FIVE) times - I remember having to look that up to make sure it was true because it sounds so incredible.
It's his opinion, we can agree or disagree, but it's a reasonable argument.

billlm added 11:04 - Jan 20 Not achance
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Len_Brennan added 11:05 - Jan 20 Fair point acj
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TimmyH added 11:06 - Jan 20 Not in a month of Sundays: George Best, Bobby More, Paul Gascoigne etc. would have something to say about that!
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exeterblue10 added 11:16 - Jan 20 That's doing a disservice to Graham Harbey
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itfcserbia added 11:18 - Jan 20 Lol Burnsy... Not even the best Welsh player. Most physically dominant Welsh player? The fastest Welsh player? Most media followed yes. But for me Giggs was miles ahead in footballing terms (off-field issues aside). Even Mark Hughes would have something to say surely. So top 3 Welsh players, still a fine achievement.
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chepstowblue added 11:22 - Jan 20 Does he realise that he's said that out loud?! I'm sorry Wes but that is an absolute load of b*****ks!!
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Cadiar added 11:37 - Jan 20 I've seen all the players people have previously mentioned & IMO Bale was better than any of them.its not just about individual skill which Best was top at but everything. Unlike many mentioned he could defend.
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BrettenhamBlue added 11:43 - Jan 20 Bobby Charlton, George Best and Geoff Hurst (228 goals in his club career).
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NorthStandOracle added 11:48 - Jan 20 Charlton and Best are the only players who could argue to be better than Bale. Gazza, Mark Hughes and Giggs haha, Some of you make me laugh. Bale in his prime played football at a level very few players have ever reached
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SpiritOfJohn added 11:53 - Jan 20 I don't think it is fair to compare players from different eras. There aren't many in Bale's generation who have been more successful. So the question becomes is Bale better than Rooney, Giggs and Kane? Probably not IMO but he's certainly been at a similar level.
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statto72 added 11:56 - Jan 20 I love Burnsy. But Bale best ever? Talking rubbish
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statto72 added 12:13 - Jan 20

ACJ….. there is no island of Great Britain ðŸ˜‚

Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom. The nationality of someone from the United Kingdom is British, which includes English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish. So the suggestion that George Best wasn't British is incorrect.
I too agree with the earlier post that it is probably unfair to compare players from different eras. It is also incorrect to base arguments on amount of trophies won. These are won by teams rather than individuals.