' GARETH BALE TODAY '
Euro 2016: Gareth Bale insists he can handle England 'nibbles'
Thursday 16th June 2016
Euro 2016: Wales fully ready for England - Gareth Bale
Euro 2016: England v Wales
Venue: Stade Felix Bollaert-Delelis, Lens Date: Thursday, 16 June Kick-off:
Gareth Bale insists he can take the physical battering if England choose to get rough with him in Thursday's Euro 2016 match in Lens.
Wales lead Group B and victory would see them qualify for the knock-out stages while England boss Hodgson hopes for a first win of this tournament.
Hodgson insists England will not kick the world's most expensive player but Bale is not worried if they do.
"You always get it. Slovakia had a nice nibble on Saturday," said Bale.
And asked if he was expecting a couple of kicks from England players, the Real Madrid forward replied: "That's normal."
The Wales talisman has made headlines with his pre-match comments insisting England could not match Wales for pride and passion, adding the English "big themselves up without doing anything yet".
Hodgson though Bale's comments were "disrespectful" but if the 26-year-old has made himself a bigger target, Wales' £85m pound man is not bothered.
"I don't think I've said anything to be bad to be honest," said Bale, who has scored 20 goals in 56 Wales caps. "I've given my opinion what our country is about."
Man-marked
How England decide to deal with the double Champions League winner is likely to have a major bearing on arguably the biggest match between the countries since the first game in 1879.
But Bale says he does not care if England choose to man-mark him for 90 minutes as he added: "I'll just move the player out the way and create some space. It doesn't bother me.
"If I don't get the ball I will stand on the wing, he can stand next to me and there will be a massive hole in the middle.
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