Is Gareth Bale 'the greatest British footballer of all-time'? talkSPORT pundits react

His spectacular brace against Austria in Thursday's World Cup qualifying play-off acted as a gentle reminder of just how good the 32-year-old is, despite his current situation at Real Madrid.

With two LaLiga title wins, four Champions League victories and three successes in the FIFA Club World Cup, there's no questioning his CV in the game.

However, with Bale's future looking all-but certain to be away from the Bernabeu when his contract expires this summer, there are big questions over where he'll be playing next, with his agent Jonathan Barnett telling the Daily Telegraph: "Gareth doesn't know what will happen in the summer, and everything depends on Wales.

"We haven't spoken to anybody and it will be a decision he makes at some time in June.

"It's unbelievable they [Real Madrid] haven't played him, because he can still do things, as everybody saw on Thursday night.

"If they got him into that team and involved, they would have a great player but we'll live with it and get on with it.

"He's the greatest player that has ever played for Wales, and one of the greatest Britain has ever produced."

There's no doubting Barnett's claims of Bale being up there with the best of Britain, but is he THE greatest player the Isles have produced in history?

That will be disputed by fans of the likes of Bobby Charlton, Kenny Dalglish, George Best, Ryan Giggs and Paul Gascoigne.

Trevor Sinclair isn't convinced, as the former England international told the talkSPORT Breakfast: "I was a massive Kenny Dalglish fan, back in the day, for what he did at Celtic and then obviously went on to do really well for Liverpool.

"I remember him sticking his backside in, he was very strong, clever and had an unbelievable finish, so I think Kenny."

However many of talkSPORT's other guests and presenters were firmly behind the Welsh star.

talkSPORT's Welsh football reporter, Laurence Mora, said: "He's the best British player in history. Just look at those trophies and the moments that they have produced.

"There are great players and then great players who turn up for great moments and Gareth Bale's back catalogue is unbelievable, going back to Euro 2016, Champions League finals, the goal against Liverpool. The list goes on and on."

Jason Cundy was also firmly in the Bale camp, telling The Sports Bar: "His best performances in the last 18 months to two years have been in a Wales shirt.

"He basically keeps himself fit for Wales. Normally, players give up their international career to help their club game because there's more money it, Gareth Bale's gone the other way round!

"What a goal, that first goal. It's one of the best free-kicks, possibly the best free-kick, that he's taken. It's postage stamp.

"They could have had two goalkeepers in and neither of them would have saved it. It comes off the knuckle of the foot and bang.

"He's still an absolute superstar."

While Ray Parlour said that he was undoubtedly a fan of the Real Madrid star, he did question whether the player would have been better served cutting ties with the Spanish giants in order to progress his career.

He explained: "All of those years that he's missed by not playing. I know he's got a great contract, but I wish he'd done a deal with Real Madrid two or three years ago to come back to England.

"Wherever he goes, he needs to play football.

"You know how much of a talent he is and It just shows that he's a natural-born, gifted player to do what he did against Austria.

"I know you train, I know you've got the touch, but competitive football is totally different to training."

However, Simon Jordan believes there's no question that Bale deserves legendary status for single-handedly raising the level of Welsh football.

Asked if Bale has secured legendary status, Jordan said: "Of course he has.

"If you've scored goals in Champions League finals for one of the biggest clubs in terms of reputation and achieving, at certain times, the level that he's achieved there.

"Also playing such a key role in the rise and ascension of Welsh football, of course you do.

"It's difficult to understand why this huge talents finds himself in such a difficult position in Spain.

"He hasn't just found it with one manager, he's found it with two managers in Madrid so there has to be a common denominator which appears to be him.

"In the last couple of years there's an argument to suggest that there's more to be done. I don't think he's helped himself.

"They take football remarkably seriously in Madrid, Steve McManaman didn't have this sort of reaction, but to achieve what he did for Wales last night - he scored two phenomenal goals, you wonder where Wales would be without this level of talent available to them, so you have to give credit where credit is due."