Gareth Bale relieved to end move ‘stress’

Gareth Bale: Stress over move. Picture: PA

The summer transfer window was dominated by talk of the nine-times European champions making a bid for the Welshman but the deal was not completed until the day before the window closed as Real got their man for a world-record e100 million (£85.3m).

“It was a long time. It was very stressful to say the least,” said Bale, who is on duty with Wales ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Macedonia. “I knew their interest from the start and I was always confident the move would go through but obviously the chairman Daniel Levy had to do his business and do Tottenham well so I kind of understood.

“But, at the same time, thinking of myself, It was a hard time, it was stressful and I just had to be patient and try to focus.”

Bale has spoken of his move to the Bernabeu as a dream and has now revealed how he used to follow the club as a child.

He said: “When I was younger I had some close friends and we always loved European football and Real Madrid at that time were the dominant force and we always watched Real Madrid.

“I remember family holidays, we used to go Spain, and we’d bring back replica shirts of Real Madrid and wear them out and always pretend to be the players when we played in the park.”

While this week may have been difficult for the 24-year-old, he also had a tough time as a young player at Southampton as injuries threatened his progress and he is grateful to the staff at St Mary’s for sticking by him.

“I had a lot of growing problems with my back which made my hamstrings tighter which meant I couldn’t run so quick and it kind of affected the way I played. It was quite frustrating.

“I think they believed that it was still there and it was a phase that I just needed to come through. There was a lot of debate but I think everybody at Southampton and especially Rod Ruddick, the scout who spotted me when I was nine, believed that I would make it and we got through that and I showed what I was capable of.”