Football: Gareth Bale waves emotional goodbye to fans as he addresses crowd in Cardiff

Gareth Bale waved an emotional goodbye to Welsh football at the Cardiff City Stadium ahead of the clash with Latvia on Tuesday night.

One of the world's most recognisable footballers, he scored 40 goals in 111 appearances for his country.

He led Wales' golden generation to major tournaments, culminating in last autumn's World Cup in Qatar.

He scored Wales' only goal at the competition, in a 1-1 draw with the USA.

After the tournament, he announced his sudden retirement from football at the age of 33.

Bale was presented to the crowd in the Welsh capital ahead of the Euro 2024 qualifier and addressed those in attendance from the middle of the pitch.

He said: "I just want to say, obviously, what an honour it has been to represent this country and play in front of the best fans in the world.

"You've supported me, my family and the teams through the lowest of the lows and the highest of the highs.

"I can't thank you enough and, honestly, it's been the biggest pleasure playing in front of you throughout my whole career.

"I'm going to miss playing in front of you but make sure you keep supporting the boys.

"You, the fans, are Welsh football, you make it so special, you make it what it is today.

"Obviously, I'll be cheering on like you lot. Hopefully I'll see you soon in the future. Thank you."