Wales and Gareth Bale head into their second straight European Championship with aspirations kept in check after their surprising run to the semi-finals in 2016.
Five years later Bale will captain his country having taken over from the emblematic Ashley Williams who wore the armband five years ago in the run to the last four and defeat to eventual winners Portugal.
Wales start their campaign against Switzerland on Saturday in Baku.
“It’s going to be a massive honour to lead your country out in a major tournament. It’s going to be one of the highlights of my career,” Bale, a four-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid, said.