Gareth Bale has opened up on his departure from Tottenham Hotspur in 2013 and explained why he was never going to turn down the opportunity to join Real Madrid.
The Welsh star left Spurs for the La Liga six years ago for a then-record fee despite still having what he says was a deep affection for the club.
Bale finished his time with Spurs netting 21 goals in the Premier League but has never surpassed that mark in the Spanish league with Real.
The 29-year-old has still lifted the La Liga trophy once and has four Champions League winners’ medals. It’s safe to say the move has worked out overall and Bale admits the lure of Madrid was always going to be too much to turn down back in 2013.
"I appreciated everything Tottenham had done for me but I think they did understand at the time that when such a big club comes in for you like Real Madrid it is difficult to turn them down," Bale told BT Sport’s What I Wore.
"Even though I was enjoying my time at Tottenham, loved the club and I still do, to have Real Madrid come for you, you’ll regret saying no."
Bale has played a key role for Real over the years, with his brace against Liverpool in the Champions League final last year a particular high point.
But some say his perceived fractious relationship with former Real forward Cristiano Ronaldo held him back from achieving his full potential before the Portuguese star left for Juventus last summer.
Bale, however, insists he always enjoyed his working relationship with Ronaldo.
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"Cristiano is an incredible player, I thoroughly enjoyed playing with him," Bale added. "Obviously the media try and hype up these problems which were never there. We got on really well.
"He’s an incredible player and what he did for the club with the amount of goals he scored. An incredible player and he is still going now."
Bale continues to be linked with a move away from Madrid this summer, with a return to Spurs and a switch to Manchester United two of the most prominent rumours. But at the same time, it’s said that Bale is still enjoying the delights of Real and would like to stay as his first preference.
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