No regrets: Gareth Bale applauds Wales’ fighting spirit after Euro 2016 defeat by Portugal

Gareth Bale said Wales should have no regrets after their remarkable Euro 2016 run ended in a 2-0 defeat by Portugal in the semi-finals in Lyon on Wednesday.

“We’re obviously massively disappointed. We’ve got to be proud of ourselves first and foremost,” Bale told ITV.

“We’ve given everything, on the pitch, off the pitch. We’ve tried to enjoy the experience of the tournament. We want to thank the fans for all the support we’ve had – it’s been absolutely incredible.”

In their first major tournament since 1958, Wales topped their group ahead of England despite losing to their British neighbours.

They then beat Northern Ireland 1-0 in the last 16 and came from behind to stun Belgium 3-1 in the last eight but their run was ended by the Portuguese.

“They got their first goal and then were lucky with their second – we tried our hardest to get back in the game and we fought until the last second. We’re sorry we couldn’t get to the final but we gave everything.”