Ex-Tottenham luminary Gareth Bale hung up his boots in January 2023, yet Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney persists in his efforts to entice him back to the sport.

Rob McElhenney has acknowledged that an offer is "still on the table" for former Tottenham star Gareth Bale to come out of retirement and sign for Wrexham.

Last summer, co-owners McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds attempted to persuade ex-Spurs player Bale to join the Red Dragons following their promotion to League Two.

Now, with Wrexham advancing to League One at the first time of asking, McElhenney is not abandoning his efforts to convince Bale to return to professional football. As part of his latest unique offer, McElhenney has informed Bale that he can play "golf whenever he wants" as long as he attends training.

"Gareth Bale is still technically available! I made the plea last year and I’m just going to tell Gareth that the offer is still on the table," said McElhenney. "We’ll let him play golf whenever he wants. Just as long as he comes training and we’ll figure out how to get him in the team."

Bale retired from football in January 2023 following the World Cup in Qatar. He had spent seven months in the United States with Los Angeles Football Club, having left Real Madrid in June 2022 after nine years, winning his fifth Champions League and third La Liga title.

The Welshman had the option of another year at LAFC in Major League Soccer when he hung up his boots. After his retirement, McElhenney and Reynolds were quick to attempt to persuade Bale to reconsider his decision.

After Wrexham won the National League title in April 2023, Bale sent a congratulatory message, with McElhenney saying: "I won't spend four hours trying to convince you to un-retire for one last magical season." Reynolds added: "I will shave a professional-grade golf course into Rob's back if you'll give Wrexham a season."

However, Bale then openly stated he was not coming out of retirement, with his agent Jonathan Barnett confirming later in 2023 that he does not have the desire or the fitness to play again.