Left-back lets slip that Wales wide man is faster than Kyle Walker – not what England want to hear before the Euro 2016 clash in Lens on Thursday

Danny Rose was so busy pondering how Gareth Bale had transformed himself from a shy and underused fellow Tottenham Hotspur reserve into a two‑times European Cup-winning force of nature that, initially, he did not notice uttering the words sure to send shivers of apprehension down England spines.

He had already pointed to the way the Welshman lives off the pitch, teetotal and away from the limelight. He followed that with mentions of diet and professionalism. “So it’s not a surprise Gareth’s hit the heights,” Rose said. “He joined Spurs predominantly as a left-back and now he’s one of the most dangerous attacking midfielders in the world. Actually he’s probably the only guy I’ve seen who’s a lot quicker than Kyle Walker. I didn’t think that was possible.”

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That prompted a split second of silence while those present digested the true scale of the task that awaits Walker in Lens on Thursday before Rose, almost apologetically, cracked into a sheepish grin. Sometimes all you can do is laugh.

Bale is a problem to occupy the minds of the entire England backline rather than just one overworked right-back. Rose has charted Bale’s development first-hand. Tottenham had secured two left-sided teenagers of huge promise in the summer of 2007 when following Bale’s £7m purchase from Southampton with the £1m acquisition, two months later, of the 17-year-old Rose from Leeds. The latter had been bought with the future in mind and would drift through four loan spells before realising his potential. He started life at Spurs living in a hotel.

Bale, in contrast, had moved to London hoping to make an immediate impression on the first-team and settled in the plush Chigwell enclave of Repton Park. “But we actually both had difficult starts to our careers at Tottenham,” Rose said. “I got injured and Gareth wasn’t playing as often as he would have liked. I didn’t see him that much outside football – he is a pretty reserved bloke who keeps himself to himself, and we were both very quiet at the time.

“We weren’t actually competing for the same place, either. I hadn’t joined as a left-back because I was playing more in midfield back then. It’s funny how I’ve gone back in my position and he’s gone forward. We both had to wait a while for our chance but it came. We played Real Madrid in pre-season last summer and I got to catch up with him. It was nice to see how happy he was, and how he relishes his football over there.”

Yet that friendly a year ago in Munich’s Allianz Arena, when Bale’s shot from distance illuminated Real’s 2-0 win, remains the only occasion when Rose has confronted his former team‑mate. He had been ineligible as a Spurs loanee when the Wales international’s last touch as a Tottenham player beat Sunderland at White Hart Lane on the final day of the 2012-13 campaign, before his £85.2m move to the Bernabéu. They have moved in different circles since. Yet, should Bale drift to the Wales right at Stade Bollaert-Delelis, he will find himself up against a friend better qualified to cope these days.

It has taken time for the 25-year-old Rose to feel comfortable at left-back. A player who would have qualified for Jamaica through his grandparents has spent time under 10 club managers, from Brendan Rodgers to Martin O’Neill, Darren Ferguson to Harry Redknapp. But, while there was praise for Tim Sherwood, it is Mauricio Pochettino who has provided a proper education.

“I’ve always said the year-long loan at Sunderland was the best thing that ever happened to me, so I owe them a hell of a lot because I went back to Spurs having proved to myself and a lot of others I could play in the Premier League. But, as daft as it sounds, I’ve never had a manager take time to work on me as a left-back and help me improve until Mauricio came to Tottenham.

“That’s no disrespect to any of the other coaches I’ve worked under, but it’s shown in the last couple of years. He’s always said he wants me to play with the same arrogance as Marcelo at Real Madrid. Every time he goes out he looks like he thinks he’s the best in the world, and Pochettino wants me to have the same attitude when I play for Spurs. That comes with confidence. Towards the end of the season I felt very confident and, once I get to that level, I start to take more risks on the ball. It’s something I enjoy.”

That mention of the campaign run‑in turned attention briefly to the evening at Stamford Bridge when Tottenham’s title challenge was wrecked. Rose was one of the nine visiting players booked as Chelsea recovered a two-goal deficit and Spurs, frazzled in the frenzy, lost their discipline as well as an opportunity to catch Leicester. Mousa Dembélé has since started a six-game ban for eye gouging.

Gareth Bale Gareth Bale

“I’ve apologised on behalf of Tottenham before for what happened in the game but, strangely enough, I wouldn’t change anything apart from the result,” Rose said, before acknowledging Dembélé’s sanction and the number of bookings were worthy of a rethink.

“I would have loved to have won but how we fought for each other … we’ve shown we’re not a pushover. That is why I play football, games like that. To feel the hatred from the Chelsea fans and their players beforehand. It was amazing. That’s now the first fixture we’re looking at next season: Chelsea at home and Chelsea away.”

Before that comes Wales, Slovakia and, all being well, a foray into the knockout phase. The hope is Bale, friend turned foe, does not check that progress.