New generation emerging from Bale's shadow to leave Wales on brink of another major tournament

With Bale having retired after the World Cup in Qatar and another stalwart, Aaron Ramsey, on his last legs, the Welsh needed a new generation to emerge and blossom

The post-Gareth Bale era looked particularly daunting for Wales.

After all, how could a principality with a population of 3 million really replace its best ever player, a Real Madrid great, once the most expensive signing in soccer history?

Maybe they needn’t have worried.

With Bale having retired after the World Cup in Qatar and another stalwart, Aaron Ramsey, on his last legs, the Welsh needed a new generation to emerge and blossom — and that’s what has happened.

On Tuesday, a youthful Wales will look to reach a third straight European Championship tournament when Robert Lewandowski and Poland visit Cardiff City Stadium in one of three playoff finals.

Tellingly, it would be the first time this century that Wales secured qualification for a major tournament without Bale, for so long the team’s inspiration and the man who would come up with those important goals time and again.

“It would be just as good as the others, better in some ways,” said Wales captain Ben Davies, the old head of the team at age 30. “It’s different times. We don’t have Gareth Bale this time. That’s a big loss for Wales, our greatest ever player. But that doesn’t mean there’s a different feeling within the camp. We are more than confident with the squad we’ve got.”