Wales boss John Toshack has advised Gareth Bale to ''go with your gut reaction'' in deciding which big-money move the teenager should take.

Bale, still only 17, became Wales' youngest international debutant and goalscorer under Toshack earlier this season, and is in the middle of a £10million tug of war between Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham for his signature.

It is a critical time in the Saints youngster's career, and Toshack can only sit and wait for the decision as he prepares to give Bale his fifth cap against Northern Ireland in Belfast on February 6.

Toshack named his 24-man squad for the friendly today, but the future of Cardiff-born Bale dominated proceedings.

For Toshack there is the delight that Bale is Welsh and he insists he has faith in the teenager to make the correct decision.

''He will be a very important player for us for several years to come,'' said the 57-year-old.

''Gareth will no doubt talk to several clubs, it will be up to him and you wouldn't want to fill his head with too much.

''He's very level-headed, a decent lad with a nice family and I'm sure they will make the right decision between them.

"Maybe if he signs for someone and stays on loan at Southampton could be the right way to go.

''You get a gut feeling about the right club, I knew with Liverpool and I am sure Gareth will have his preference by now.

"Maybe you shouldn't jump at the first thing that comes in.

''But with this one there is so much money being talked about, it's a tough one for him".

Toshack recalls a similar situation in his own career when he was an 18-year-old at Cardiff.

He said: ''Bobby Robson was manager at Fulham and he flew down with their chairman Tommy Trinder in a private plane.

''I was told of their interest but turned that opportunity down. Cardiff were doing well in the European Cup Winners' Cup and just about to play Torpedo Moscow.

''We were all very excited about the run and when they offered £80,000 I said I wanted to stay at Cardiff.

''I felt I was doing okay at Cardiff, my local club and I didn't feel I was ready for a big move to London.

''Then Liverpool came in 18 months later and paid £120,000".

Toshack is delighted with Bale's progress.

He said: ''His rise has certainly been meteoric. He had barely played a couple of games for Southampton when we called him in for our two games against the Basques and Trinidad at the end of last season.

''But he then made his full debut against Brazil in a game that everyone saw on TV and that really made a few people sit up and take notice.

''I took him and Ryan Giggs off at half-time, and they were the best two players on the field at the time. He was outstanding, from his first tackle.

''You can understand big clubs haggling over him because he is very special for someone so young.

''He's not 18 yet and you wonder just how much he will be worth in five or six years time.

''There is no doubt he has all the attributes to make it to the very top.

''Brian Flynn, my under-21 coach, said he had this outstanding lad in the under-17s, he was very excited about it. Then we put him into an under-21 game, attacking up and down the left hand side and looking very confident.

''So the next thing we did was to take him on the end of season trip to Spain and Austria and he impressed everyone, certainly my senior players who knew what they were seeing.

''He made the winner against Trinidad and Tobago. Then he got on from the start against Brazil, and not even that phased him.

''From his first tackle you could see the quality he had, and the confidence and composure for someone so young. I think he surprised the Brazilians, he was that good.

''The talent was obvious and now everyone has noticed. For a kid he really looked the part, he was very special. He really has advanced and now all these clubs are looking at him, they can't all be wrong.

''The signs are that he will become a very important players for us in the future. I do not expect him to be playing for the under-21s again".