Wales vs Belgium: Hal Robson-Kanu becomes one of Europe's most wanted after running down Reading deal
The 27-year-old striker's stunning goal has turned heads across the continent
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Wales forward Hal Robson-Kanu has revealed how his decision to run down his contract at Reading has now made him one of the most sought-after players in Europe following the stunning goal which set Chris Coleman’s on course for the Euro 2016 semi-finals.
Robson-Kanu, 27, became a social media sensation on Friday night after scoring the second goal in Wales’s 3-1 quarter-final win against Belgium in Lille.
The former Arsenal youngster’s Cruyff-turn in the penalty area, which wrong-footed three Belgian defenders, preceded the clam finish past goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois which gave Wales the lead early in the second-half.
With his Reading contract officially expiring at midnight on June 30, Robson-Kanu’s goal less than 24 hours later prompted fans on Twitter to demand that their club sign up for the forward on a free transfer.
But Acton-born Robson-Kanu, who represented England at U-19 and U-20 level before switching allegiance to Wales due to a Caerphilly-born grandmother, admits it was his decision to leave Reading and take his chances with a move elsewhere.
“In terms of my club situation, I've been at Reading for 12 years,” Robson-Kanu said. “I've given them a lot of service and been very loyal, but I decided to run my contract down.
“It was a decision I took for myself and my family because I thought it was important to have my future in my own hands.”
With Wales now facing the first major semi-final in their history, 58 years after reaching the World Cup finals in their most recent tournament appearance, Coleman’s team are now just ninety minutes away from the Euro 2016 final if they can overcome a Portugal team that is yet to win a game inside 90 minutes in France.
And Robson-Kanu insists that Welsh progress is a testament to the work ethic of the squad and unity of the players.
“As a group of lads, we're just proud that we've done the nation proud," he said. "We're on Cloud Nine.
“We've been working for it for many years now, putting in the hard work and it's about nights like this against Belgium where we've obviously got the rewards and taken our opportunity as a team, and as a nation.
"At the start of the tournament we were underdogs to even qualify, but we knew the quality we have in our group, we've taken that into the tournament now, we've performed throughout and to get through to the quarters is a fantastic achievement.
"But to put the performance in that we did, it's just a credit to everyone involved: the players, the staff and the whole country."
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