Bale hails ´amazing´ Robson-Kanu after winning goal

Gareth Bale heaped praise on match-winning team-mate Hal Robson-Kanu after the substitute struck the winner in Wales’ 2-1 victory against Slovakia.

Bale put Wales ahead after just nine minutes of their Euro 2016 opener with a sublime free-kick in his country’s first major international tournament match in 58 years, but Ondrej Duda levelled.

Robson-Kanu then came off the bench to snatch the points in the last 10 minutes with a scruffy finish after fine work by Aaron Ramsey and Bale hailed his colleague.

“The subs have to make an impact when they come on and Hal was amazing,” Bale told BBC Sport. 

“It’s a squad game, we all know that, and everyone has their part to play. We’ll keep fighting.

“We’re taking it one game at a time, but we’re not thinking about this game any more and it’s on to England. Two more to come and we’ll keep fighting on.”

Robson-Kanu, who is a free agent after being released by Reading at the end of his contract, accepted it was not his finest goal.

“Obviously [Ramsey] has done great and he’s opened up a bit of space and the ball has dropped to me in the box and I’ve managed to get it in the corner,” Robson-Kanu told BBC Sport.

“It wasn’t the best finish, but a finish nevertheless and one we’re all delighted about.

“I’m obviously a Bosman in the summer, but it’s not something I’m thinking about right now. I’ll sit down at the end of the tournament and make a decision, but it’s about the nation today and this competition and hopefully we can do the nation proud again.

“I think our focus is definitely on us and it’s about what we can do. We’ve done our job today. [England] will be playing later and obviously it’s our next game and we’ll be fully focused on that.”