John Hartson: Gareth Bale is one of the most dangerous players at Euro 2016 – the Welshman will terrify any team

FORMER Wales striker John Hartson has joined SunSport for the Euros. Ahead of the Dragons’ first match at a major tournament in 58 years, he gives us his view...

NO self-respecting, red-blooded Welshman I know ever takes part in anything just to make up the numbers.

Everyone at the Euros will soon know that we’re not about to start now.

Wales aren’t in France to enjoy the experience like it’s an excursion up the Eiffel Tower.

This notion we’re just happy to be here? It really does get my back up.

Sure, qualifying for our first major tournament in 58 years is wonderful and it’s incredible to have made it.

But, please, spare me the euphoria, or condescending pats on the back.

We’re as entitled to be in France as any other country and, the way I see it, we’ve got as much chance of making an impact.

I’m not saying we’re good enough to win it.

For me, it will be one of the big-hitters who go all the way, with hosts France my tip to lift the trophy on home soil like they did in ’84.

I’m no longer a betting man — those days are gone — but if I was my money would be on Didier Deschamps’ side.

I just hate this perception that Dragons boss Chris Coleman and his squad can totally relax and enjoy themselves for the next couple of weeks of the tournament.

Look, when I was a player all I wanted to do was qualify for a major tournament, which I sadly didn’t manage.

But I can guarantee that had I done, I wouldn’t have been satisfied with that.

We’re in a tough group and it’s not going to be easy to get through to the knockout stage — but we need to believe in ourselves.

England are the ones who should be afraid — and I’ll bet they are.

In fact, I’d bet the prospect of stopping Gareth Bale has got Roy Hodgson pretty much TERRIFIED right now.

He’ll be preparing for their game against Russia in Marseilles scared stiff about what’s coming next.

Lose their opener and England are suddenly right up against it going into their second Group B match against the Welsh on Thursday.

Hodgson won’t have that game at the back of his mind, it will be right up at the front!

He’ll be asking himself if he’s got the defensive players who are capable of stopping Bale in full flow. The answer is he doesn’t. It just depends whether Bale turns up and performs as he has done for the last couple of years but the stage is set for him.

And I can’t see any reason why he won’t make his mark.

That’s another thing which annoys me, these sniffling jibes that Wales are nothing more than a one-man team.

Sure, Bale is by far the best player in the squad and THE reason we managed to get through the qualification group.

He performed time and again when it mattered and was unbelievable at times.

But there’s no law against that, it’s nothing to be ashamed of.

You don’t hear anyone talk about Portugal and how Cristiano Ronaldo wins matches for them on his own.

No one says Sweden are nothing without Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Everyone just accepts those nations have top-class players who stand out above the rest. It’s no different with Wales — but that’s to be embraced, not shied away from.

The bottom line is we have one of the most expensive players in the world and, because of that, we can beat anyone on our day.

But at the same time, Bale wasn’t the reason that we only lost one game in ten — against Bosnia away from home — during qualifying.

Our defence, with Ashley Williams organising everything, probably doesn’t get the credit it deserves.

We also have really good midfielders in Joe Allen and Joe Ledley.

Listen, don’t get me wrong, if we are to get through the group and make an impact on this tournament we will need Bale to be at his best.

But that was the same back in my day.

We never reached a major competition but in the matches we won we needed Ryan Giggs, Craig Bellamy or myself to do something a bit special.

I just look at this group now and see players hungry for success.

They’re not hung up about any of the failings of the past and that can only be a good thing.

They’re vibrant and ambitious and I’m convinced they’ll take on Slovakia in this opening game full of belief.

My only slight concern is that the defeats we’ve suffered in the friendly matches leading up to here will have sapped some of that confidence.

There were mitigating reasons for those performances, and results, but I hope morale hasn’t been affected.

Sweden thumped us in our last game but no one should read too much into that because we didn’t approach it in the same way they did.

You’ll see a different Wales performance against Slovakia, I’m absolutely convinced of it.

You’ll see a team fighting for every ball and being as competitive as any group of players could ever be.

Because we’re Welsh and that’s what we do.