Gareth Bale has taken aim at Real Madrid with a cheeky indirect comment following his second full Tottenham debut.
The Welshman started his first Spurs game since returning from Real Madrid on a season-long loan deal on Thursday, helping Jose Mourinho's men defeat LASK in their opening Europa League group stage clash.
After the game, Bale was asked how he felt after getting his first start back at the club, and he managed to squeeze in a little dig at parent club Real Madrid.
He did that by outlining just how important it is to be 'loved' and 'appreciated', something he and his agent feel didn't happen at Real, particularly in the latter years when he faced increased scrutiny from fans and the Spanish media.
"It's amazing," Bale told BT Sport after the game. "Obviously, it's a big reason why I play well and want to come back.
"You want to be loved, you want to be appreciated and obviously, I'll give everything for Spurs.
"When I get fully match fit, I will be up and running and hopefully contribute even more."
Bale wasn't the only player to arrive at Spurs during the summer with Mourinho active in the market, signing Sergio Reguilon, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Joe Hart, Matt Doherty and Carlos Vinicius.
And the Welshman believes those additions can only be a good thing, even if it means more competition for him.
"It's a great squad," he added. "There is a lot of depth and a lot of good players.
"Hopefully, we can use that to our advantage and hopefully the competition for places will keep everyone on their toes and playing well."
Bale spent seven years at Real Madrid, returning to Spurs for the season after winning all there was to win at Santiago Bernabeu.
