After links with Getafe were shot down, the latest surprising story about Gareth Bale is that he may go into coaching after the World Cup with Wales.
Bale has spent over a decade in the public eye and at the top of the footballing world, but has stood out for his introverted or private approach. While some revel in the attention, Bale seemed to do his best to keep a low profile for the most part.
In addition, he was notoriously one of the quieter voices in the Real Madrid dressing room. That may well have been linked to his less than fluent Spanish, but there seemed little desire to take on a vocal leadership role from the Welshman.
Speaking after Wales 3-2 defeat to the Netherlands however, Welsh Technical Director David Adams has suggested that Bale may well apply himself to coaching after his playing days are over.
“I was speaking to Gareth [Bale] and Aaron [Ramsey] away in Holland recently and they are really keen to do their coaching B and A licences in Wales – hopefully after the World Cup. I hope on the back of that we will be able to utilise their experiences to support our young players.”
“I know Gareth and Aaron are extremely proud Welshman and I am sure they will be knocking my door down to come and speak to the players to get them advice and support.”
The comments were picked up by Mundo Deportivo, after originally being reported in The Sun.
Whether those prospective coaching courses and wish to be of use to the Welsh setup could ever be converted into a desire to coach at the elite level remains to be seen.