Guiding Wales to a major championships would be as rewarding for Gareth Bale as winning the Champions League with Real Madrid.
That is the opinion of Iwan Roberts, who won 15 caps for Wales in a team featuring the likes of Ryan Giggs, Mark Hughes and Neville Southall, yet never advanced to a world or European finals.
Bale, who moved from Tottenham to Madrid in an £85.3million deal in 2013, helped Real to 'La Decima', their 10th European Cup, last term and now has the chance to lead Wales to Euro 2016 and a first major tournament since the 1958 World Cup.
Roberts, who was speaking at the filming of the new Vauxhall Home Nations Football Show, told Press Association Sport: "He's still only 25, but he's achieved so much in the game already.
"If Wales qualify, Gareth will have a big say, and it will be up there with winning the European Cup with Madrid for him.
"The relief in his reaction when we beat Cyprus was unbelievable. You'd have thought he'd won the Champions League again."
Wales' wait for a first tournament in almost 60 years - after a number of near-misses - could end after a strong start to the current campaign.
"There are some big players that have missed out on playing in World Cups and European Championships," former Norwich striker Roberts added.
"We came close in '94 with the game at the old Arms Park, where Bods (Paul Bodin) missed a penalty.
"We had a great start to the 2004 campaign, when we won our first three games and then hit a bit of a brick wall and lost to Russia in the play-offs. We don't want the play-offs this time.
"I do think we'll qualify automatically. With the start that we've had, with the players that we've got, with the confidence that's flooding through the squad now.
"We've lost one in seven and that was against Holland when there was no (Aaron) Ramsey, no Bale, no Ashley Williams, no Ben Davies.
"We've had a good start. Seven points from our first three games, but we've got three tough games coming up."
First up for Wales is a trip to Brussels for the first of two matches against Belgium, either side of a trip to Israel.
Chris Coleman's men top Group B ahead of the Belgium clash and Roberts thinks a memorable result in Brussels could see Wales extend their advantage.
The 47-year-old said: "Belgium are the favourites. They've got an unbelievable squad of players, but they're beatable.
"It would be one of the best results in Welsh football history if we went there and got three points."
:: Check out the new Vauxhall Home Nations Football Show with Ian Wright, Keith Gillespie, Kevin Gallacher and Iwan Roberts go to www.YouTube.co.uk/VauxhallFootballTV
Source: PA
