Why I didn’t leave Real Madrid – Bale

7 years ago

Why I didn’t leave Real Madrid – Bale

Gareth Bale has admitted that his stay in Real Madrid has not always been smooth sailing and that it took character for him to continue playing in Spain.

The Welsh winger, who was this week nominated for the Ballon d’Or, joined Madrid in a world-record move from Tottenham Hotspur in 2013.

Bale recently agreed terms on a new six-year contract with the La Liga club, which will keep him at the Santiago Berbaneu until 2022 .

“There have been a lot of great moments, in football there are always ups and downs,” Bale said at an event, where he officially signed the new deal on Monday.

“Winning the Champions League, for this club, is the pinnacle. There have been bad moments too, that always happens wherever you are, but the important thing is how you react.

“It would be easy to pack up and leave and go elsewhere, but it takes more character to stay here, fight and make things work”, he added.

Bale has been linked with a return to the Premier League with Manchester United, but he denies ever knowing about interest from anywhere else.

“I could not tell you if anybody has been interested,” he continued.

“If they have been, I don’t know about it. I’ve just been focused on Real Madrid. We [players] never speak about these things anyway.

“Madrid are the biggest club in the world. When you have the chance to play for them you do not turn it down. I have loved every minute of it. I came here to progress as a footballer and I have definitely made the right decision. I want to keep winning trophies, and Real Madrid can offer that, they match all my ambitions.”

Bale said that his three years in the Spanish capital had seen him grow up both as a person and a player.

“It has changed me quite a lot,” he said.

“It has made me grow up more as a person. I came to Madrid in the first place to try something different. It is never easy for British players to travel abroad and be successful but I wanted to improve my game.

“I have had two good years here, and one that was not so good, which helped me to grow up too. Good and bad press is all part and parcel of the game. If you listen too much you can get yourself down. I know from experience not to listen too much to either the good or the bad comments”, he said.