Wales form aids Millennium Champions League final bid - Joey Jones

Gareth Bale (L) scored Wales' winner in their last Euro 2016 qualifier against Belgium

Wales' recent success on the pitch is one of the reasons why the 2017 Champions League Final will be held at the Millennium Stadium, according to former European Cup winner Joey Jones.

BBC Wales Sport has learned the Cardiff arena is expected to stage European club football's flagship match in 2017.

Wales currently top their Euro 2017 qualifying group and Jones believes this has aided the bid.

"The way Wales are doing at the moment has certainly helped," said Jones.

"Plus the fact that it's [Cardiff] is a great city. They know they'll get a full house whoever's in the final and hopefully it's a British team [in it] or maybe Gareth Bale's Real Madrid."

Jones was the first Welshman to taste victory in the European Cup final playing at left back for Liverpool in their 3-1 win against German-side Borussia Moenchengladbach in Rome 1977.

The former Wales defender was an unused substitute a year later when Liverpool retained the European Cup with a 1-0 victory over Bruges at Wembley.

Jones, who is now involved at Wrexham, says aCardiff final would be a boost for the whole country.

"It will be absolutely brilliant if it comes off," he said, "not just for Cardiff but for Wales as a whole.

"You're attracting the two best teams in Europe playing in the final, with the best players.

"It gives people in this country [Wales] the opportunity to actually see them in the flesh."

European football's governing body, Uefa, will make an official announcement on Monday, 29 June in Prague, Czech Republic.

The 74,500-capacity Millennium Stadium missed out on hosting matches for the 2020 European Championship.

But the venue has staged a wide range of events including the FA Cup final, League Cup final, Community Shield and Football League play-offs from 2001 to 2006, while Wembley was being redeveloped. Olympic football matches were played there in 2012.

Cardiff City Stadium played host to the 2014 Super Cup, in which Real Madrid - the club of Wales star Bale - beat Sevilla.

Jones believes the success of hosting the Super Cup has also helped Cardiff's chances of getting the Champions League final.

"The FA of Wales should be applauded for getting the European Super Cup final and holding and hosting such a good event," said Jones.

"Everything went off peacefully and the occasion was great."