Gareth Bale reunites with Aaron Ramsey and Ryan Giggs on the other side of the world
The Welsh football legends have teamed up for a new sporting challenge
Wales football legends Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey have reunited on the other side of the world, with Ryan Giggs set to join the duo as they team up for a new sporting challenge.
Bale and Ramsey have arrived in Thailand for the Reignwood Icons of Football, a golf tournament that will pitch a team of former English footballers against one made up of legends from across the rest of the world, with 24 icons of the game taking to the course at Reignwood Park in Bangkok.
The two-day event will see Team England captained by 2016 Masters champion Danny Willett and Team World led by 2018 Ryder Cup-winning captain Thomas Bjorn. All matches will be played over 10 holes using a Ryder Cup-style match play, with players having extra ways to earn points for their teams.
Bale, Ramsey and Giggs are flying the flag for Wales in Team World, with Andriy Shevchenko, Dwight Yorke, Gianfranco Zola and Ruud Gullit among their team-mates. The line-up is completed by Gabriel Batistuta, David Ginola, Nigel de Jong, Henrik Larsson and John Arne Riise.
Team England, meanwhile, features the likes of John Terry, Theo Walcott, Jimmy Bullard and Teddy Sheringham, with Andy Cole, Robbie Fowler, Joe Hart, Paul Ince, Phil Jagielka, Jermaine Jenas, Phil Jones and Lee Sharpe completing the team.
The tournament, which is being shown live on Sky Sports, kicks off on Saturday morning (1am UK time) but Bale and Ramsey have spent the week honing their skills on the course.
Behind-the-scenes footage on the Icon Series' social media platforms shows the pair - who won a combined 197 caps for Wales over the course of their football careers - playing a round together and socialising in the clubhouse.
Bale's love for golf is well-documented and he is regarded as the best player involved in this weekend's tournament as he plays off a scratch handicap.
He is only rivalled by former Wigan and Fulham midfielder Bullard, who also has a handicap of zero, while Shevchenko, Yorke and Sharpe all play off handicaps of one.
Giggs and Ramsey are slightly further down the list, playing off handicaps of seven and 10 respectively.
Bale is no stranger to taking on fellow sporting legends on the golf course, having also played alongside the likes of Rory McIlroy and two-time Wimbledon champion Sir Andy Murray in pro-am events.
Speaking to WalesOnline last year, the 36-year-old couldn't resist poking fun at Murray when asked who was a better golfer, with the tennis legend planning to enter regional qualifying for The Open Championship.
"My handicap would suggest me!," said Bale. "But [Murray] is a good player, he hasn’t been playing long, but he’s a very good player. I’ve played with him many times now and he’s such a good, nice, humble guy. He’s very funny as well.
"It was great to play with [Murray and McIlroy]. I’ve played with them a few times now. It’s always good to have a fun day, a bit more relaxed even if there are a lot of people watching.
"It’s been good to play in some of those events, even just to watch the pros up close and see how they do things. You can really learn a lot from it. It’s been good fun and I’m sure there will be a few more in the future."