Bale hopes Michy Batshuayi’s impending move to Chelsea will distract the striker in the quarter-final

Chris Coleman’s team are unbeaten in three games against Belgium, dating back to October 2013, when a weakened side did well to draw 1-1 in Brussels, and Bale believes history can creep into the minds of Eden Hazard and his team-mates.

‘We are like their bogey team, aren’t we?’ said Bale, happy to engage in more verbal jousting after his England barbs before the group game.

‘Hopefully that edge gets into their heads — you never know. We understand we’ve had good results against them but they are a top team. It’s about the night.

‘We will definitely draw on the games from qualifying, it gives us more knowledge on them. We know how to play against them.

‘It will be a different game from the qualifiers.

‘It is a more pressurised situation, but we understand what they are about and how they work. We will hone our gameplan to try to stop them, but help our attack.’

That worked at the Cardiff City Stadium 13 months ago, when Bale took advantage of a mistake by Radja Nainggolan to score the winner. ‘It was definitely a changing moment for us as a team,’ he said. ‘To know we can beat the big teams gives you extra confidence and takes you to another level.

‘We are still feeding off that now. That was my most important Wales goal, for sure.’

Bale called the fixture in Lille the ‘biggest’ in Welsh football history and revealed how Coleman’s management will prepare them suitably.

‘He is very important for us. He has that bit of banter but you know when it comes to the hard work he will give you a rollocking if he has to,’ said Bale.

‘He has never dished out anything massive.

‘We are a good team and we generally listen and work well. But there have been half-time team talks where he has had to stick the boot in to get it the right way.’

Perhaps the cookie milkshake Bale enjoyed from a bar in Dinard town centre during a walkabout on Tuesday was in tribute to his manager — nicknamed Cookie — but whatever, it illustrated the relaxed approach this group have taken from the off.

Bale said he was ‘very happy’ that England’s exit means Wales are the last remaining British team in the tournament.

‘It’s our time to shine,’ he added. ‘We are the only home nation left in the competition, which is an amazing achievement in itself.

‘We’ll be proud to fly the flag of Wales. This is one we’re looking forward to, we’re eager to get started.

‘We just want to enjoy the occasion, take it all in, and hopefully we can get into the semis.’

Asked what motivates him to continue performing, Bale showed he knows how to push the fans’ buttons. ‘The dragon on my shirt, that’s all I need,’ he said.