Gareth Bale's agent reacts to pleas from Wrexham co-owners Rob McElhenney & Ryan Reynolds to consider reversing retirement

• Welsh star retired in January
• Is wanted back in his homeland
• No plans to play again

WHAT HAPPENED? Hollywood stars at the Racecourse Ground have been doing their best to tempt former Real Madrid and Tottenham star Bale out of retirement following Wrexham’s record-breaking promotion back into the Football League. Bale has not taken the social media interaction with Reynolds and McElhenney all that seriously, despite the pair claiming that they really would like to do business, and agent Jonathan Barnett has cast further doubt over a remarkable deal being done for the 33-year-old forward.

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WHAT THEY SAID: He has told Sky Sports when asked if Bale could be lured back to his homeland: “I don't think so. He's flattered by the offers but they've all been tongue-in-cheek. He's having a great life at the moment and it's well deserved. He's been the best British footballer, probably ever.”

Barnett added on the efforts of Reynolds and McElhenney to get Bale on board with their ambitious project in North Wales: “They haven't actually spoken to me, they may have spoken to Gareth. But Gareth doesn't want to play football any more. He's had a great career, he enjoyed himself but he's living a great life now. He's with his family, which is the most important thing. He's spending a lot of time with his children and that's what he wants to do. He'll do obviously do other things later down the line.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Bale’s decision to hang up his boots in January came as a surprise to many, following MLS Cup glory with LAFC and appearances at the 2022 World Cup, but Barnett says the five-time Champions League winner had been planning a big career call for a while. He said: “We'd been discussing it for a long time. And I think, for him, it was the right time. He's achieved everything he wanted to achieve. Played for Wales at the highest level, the World Cup, which is what he really wanted to do. And I think he knew his body wasn't up to it any more. He's had a hard time with his body in the last few years.”

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WHAT NEXT? While Wrexham appear unlikely to land Bale, Reynolds and McElhenney – who have treated their promotion-winning squad to an all-expenses-paid trip to Las Vegas – are expected to make more funds available for squad building in the summer transfer window.