It has not been the most successful period at Real Madrid for Gareth Bale. The Welshman destroyed the Premier League in a sensational run of form for Tottenham Hotspur before signing with Madrid in 2013 in a then world-record deal.
Bar brief moments here and there, including an overhead kick in a Champions League final, Bale’s time in the Spanish capital has been marred by injury and controversy. It was only last year that, while on duty with Wales, he held up a celebratory banner reading, “Wales. Gold. Madrid. In that order.