Wales No2 Raymond Verheijen has taken aim at Tottenham over their row concerning the fitness of Gareth Bale.

The Guardian says Verheijen has warned Tottenham Hotspur that Wales will not be a "pushover" when it comes to their handling of Bale.

The Wales assistant manager said the hamstring injury that ruled Bale out of Saturday's game against England was picked up while the player was with Spurs and suggested that when players report for international duty they could undergo scans, in order to avoid disputes with clubs.

Verheijen believes Wales did the right thing by issuing a statement confirming that a scan showed Bale had the injury at Spurs.

"We have good and experienced staff and we dealt with the situation [with Bale] very well because we felt that something was wrong - we sensed it," he said. "What happened was us protecting ourselves, as if you wake up and see on the television that Bale got injured with us in training, when he did not even train, then you have to act quickly and protect yourself as otherwise these things will be used against you.

"Also, if you want to be successful as a team both on and off the pitch, you have to show your teeth sometimes. You have to show the world and show everyone that you are not a pushover. Wales is a small country and it does not necessarily mean that we are a pushover. We have to show our teeth and make sure that everyone outside Wales takes us seriously. That is what we did this week."