While his efforts to convince Bale to join the Red Dragons have so far come up short, the Hollywood actor said he was willing to provide the 34-year-old all the flexibility he needed to get in any rounds of golf he required. Bale hung up his boots in January 2023 after a glittering career which saw him win five Champions League titles with Real Madrid and score a record-breaking 41 goals in 111 appearances for Wales, but McElhenney is not giving up hope of seeing the Cardiff-born forward in Wrexham colours. The American, who alongside fellow actor Ryan Reynolds took over Wrexham in February 2021, said: “Gareth Bale is still technically available! I don’t know, I made the plea last year and I’m just going to tell Gareth that the offer’s still on the table.
“We’ll let you off for golf, whenever you need to get off. As long as you come to training once or twice a week we can figure out how to get you 10 minutes on the pitch. “And the golf courses – Wales is amongst the most beautiful countries in the world!” While it remains to be seen if the ex-Tottenham player can be persuaded to reverse his retirement, signing former Premier League players remains a genuine possibility for McElhenney.
Speaking at London Stadium on Sunday afternoon, where he threw the first pitch as his beloved Philadelphia Phillies were playing the second of their two-game series with the New York Mets, McElhenney was asked if there were any players in particular who could fit the bill. “W.