Wales and Liverpool legend Ian Rush has backed Gareth Bale to break his international goalscoring record in qualifying for the 2018 World Cup, saying that the Real Madrid man is 'stronger and faster' than he ever was.
Rush sits on with Welsh record with28 goals from 73 games over thecourse of his career, while Bale currently lies just six goals from from a dozen fewer games - and is only improving, as he showed with goals in three successive games at Euro 2016.
Bale and Wales open their #WCQ Group D campaign at home to Moldova. pic.twitter.com/Gif96NvX4u
Speaking this week, Rush said:"I think he will break the record in this campaign and I'd like to be there to see it.Of course you're disappointed if your record goes, but records are there to be broken.
"I would celebrate it and hopefully Wales are right up there at the top of the group.If Gareth does it - and I'm pretty sure he will if he keeps himself fit - that means hopefully we'll be qualifying for the World Cup."
No looking back for Wales...
Gareth Bale says Euro 2016 is 'out of our system':https://t.co/gdgBw9Zma6 pic.twitter.com/jpTfTQDOwk
Rush joked:"If I scored free-kicks I'd have scored 60!But Gareth is a completely different sort of player.He's got stronger and faster and I think there's more to come.Some of the goals he's scored, especially his headed goals, remind me very much of Ronaldo. I think he's learned a lot from him.
"We all know who's going to take the dead-ball situations, but when he's running powerfully he seems to have got bigger and stronger.That's what makes him the player he is, and I'm sure he'll get even better."
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