Gareth Bale insists Wales will not be celebrating to excess but said the tournament debutants will happily soak up the plaudits as they wait to find out their last 16 opponents at their “amazing” Euro 2016.
On only their second appearance at a major finals following their elimination to a Pele winner for Brazil in the quarter-finals of the 1958 World Cup, Wales have returned to the international football stage with a bang.
A 3-0 rout of hapless Russia on Monday made amends for a 2-1 defeat to England and fired the Dragons to the top of Group B after England were held to a goalless draw with Slovakia. Wales have to wait until today to find out if they meet the third-placed finisher from Groups A, C or D.
But while celebrations are on ice, Real Madrid forward Bale said they will happily enjoy the moment before Wales turn their attention to trying to qualify for the last eight at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Saturday.
“We’re professionals,” Bale said when asked if the Welsh team would celebrate by downing a few beers, although he himself is reportedly teetotal. “We’re going to enjoy the moment, but come tomorrow (Tuesday), come the next day, we’ll see who we get and start to prepare. We don’t know who we have yet. I’m sure that once we know, we’ll look at that game and that game only.”
Given Wales’ comparative lack of history at major finals, Coleman said dreaming of bigger things just won’t be allowed. “This is new for us, it’s exciting. But three games ago we lost 3-0 against Sweden, so I don’t have to remind the players,” he said.
“Football can change really quickly. Once you think you’ve arrived... you’ve never arrived in football.”
But after an unforgettable night for the Welsh at a Toulouse stadium brought to life by a Red Army singing ballads throughout the 90 minutes, fans would beg to differ. Man of the match Aaron Ramsey, the Arsenal striker, put Wales ahead after 11 minutes. And when the Russians rushed to crowd Bale in midfield nine minutes later, wing-back Neil Taylor was given a free run down the left to run in and beat Igor Akinfeev at the second attempt.
It was his first goal in any competitive game since he scored for Welsh club Wrexham, in the lower leagues, six years ago. Bale, however, was a constant threat and after seeing Akinfeev thwart several of his efforts the Welsh superstar added a third in the 70th minute with a delicate dink past the Russian ‘keeper.
Bale, now the tournament’s top scorer, became the first player since Czech striker Milan Baros in 2004 to score three goals in the first three group games of the competition. For Coleman, who as a player suffered the disappointment of narrowly missing out on qualifying for a major finals, his side’s all-round performance made him “immensely proud”. “Nights like tonight when you see your supporters celebrate like that... as a nation, geographically we’re small. But for heart, we were a continent tonight,” said Coleman. “I’ve been a player myself. I’m so lucky to be experiencing something now as a manager, at a tournament, and to see the team perform like that, it’s really pleasing.”
Bale, who won his second Champions League trophy with Real Madrid in Milan last month, admitted Monday’s game was “one of the best team performances I’ve been involved in”.
But after Wales remedied their poor possession game following a 2-1 defeat to England, he believes they have more to offer. “We spoke after the England game about the need to keep the ball a bit better,” he added. “We did that tonight and when you do that, you get opportunities to do what you do best. It was a great team performance from everybody. I don’t think Russia were weak. I think we were just very, very good. It was an amazing team performance. A credit goes to everybody tonight. Even the fans were incredible, the support has been amazing back home. Hopefully we can keep making them proud.”

Misfiring England leave coach Hodgson exposed
Saint-Étienne, France: England’s frustrating 0-0 draw with Slovakia at Euro 2016 has left manager Roy Hodgson facing a wave of criticism over his inability to make his talent-packed squad click. Despite 29 attempts at goal, England had to settle for a draw in Saint-Etienne on Monday, consigning them to second place behind Wales in Group B and setting them on a quarter-final collision course with hosts France.
Having made six changes to his starting XI, Hodgson came in for strong criticism in the British media on Tuesday, accused of taking a “gamble” that had failed to pay off. The Times, The Sun and The Daily Mirror all branded England “second rate”, while The Daily Express dubbed Hodgson’s men “Toothless Lions”.
The BBC said Hodgson’s decision to disassemble the team that had edged Wales 2-1 in Lens last week was “astonishing” and “almost smacked of arrogance”.
The stalemate at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard came just two days after outgoing Football Association chairman Greg Dyke said Hodgson would only be offered a contract extension if England “do well” in France.
The 68-year-old had actually aligned himself with popular opinion by fielding Jamie Vardy and Daniel Sturridge, after they came off the bench to score the goals that sank Wales last Thursday.
But they proved no more effective than Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling, whose places they took.
Hodgson also rested his full-backs, Danny Rose and the in-form Kyle Walker, with Ryan Bertrand and Nathaniel Clyne stepping in.
But it was the decision to bench skipper Wayne Rooney, who has been revitalised in a midfield role, that was to prove the most contentious.
Jack Wilshere, Rooney’s replacement, continues to look off the pace after playing just three times for Arsenal last season due to injury and he lasted only 56 minutes before the captain was summoned from the bench. “I would have started Wayne Rooney,” former England winger Chris Waddle told BBC Radio 5 Live. “Unfortunately for Jack Wilshere, he was off the pace and couldn’t get his passing going. He lost the ball cheaply.”
Kane and Dele Alli also entered the fray in the second half, but despite frantic scenes in and around the Slovakian penalty area in the closing stages, England struggled to carve out clear chances. “Do England have a system at the moment? Or is everyone trying to score as an individual?” asked former England right-back Danny Mills. “There is no pattern of play.”
The consolation for Hodgson, aside from the fact of England’s qualification, was that beginning with the 1-1 draw against Russia in Marseille, his side dominated all three of their group games. “Soon we will make someone pay,” he said, before adding, a little forlornly: “We will score goals one day.”
Former England striker Gary Lineker voiced optimism that Hodgson’s men could benefit from playing stronger opposition in the knockout phase, tweeting that it is “sometimes easier against sides who have a go”.
There are no guarantees that England will face an attacking team in the last 16, however, with either Hungary, Iceland, Portugal and Austria their potential opponents in Nice next Monday. Goalkeeper Joe Hart, at least, is confident that England’s group-phase displays will make them a feared prospect for rival teams. “We are into the next round and nobody will want to play us,” said the Manchester City man.