"I feel more pressure here than in front of 80,000 spectators" - Real Madrid star Gareth Bale compares golf and football

Gareth Bale has missed Real Madrid's last seven games across all competitions. Image credits - Gareth Bale's Instagram acco
Gareth Bale has missed Real Madrid's last 7 games across all competitions. Image credits - Gareth Bale's Instagram account

Gareth Bale's love for golf is an open secret. The Real Madrid star has now compared the sport to football, noting that he feels more pressure holding a golf club than he does on the football pitch.

The former Tottenham Hotspur winger said:

"It's unbelievable how well they play because of the pressure they're under. Football is different because you have pressure, but you also have a referee to deal with. The thing is, golf is a much more mental game; I feel more pressure here than in front of 80,000 spectators."

The 32-year-old also revealed that Thibaut Courtois is the only Real Madrid player apart from him who enjoys playing golf. He said:

"There are only two of us playing golf in the Real Madrid dressing room, so without a doubt I'm the No.1 golfer on the team. Thibaut Courtois is the other one who plays, but he's not better than me. Whenever I get the chance and there's a golf tournament nearby, I come to watch it."
"It's amazing the atmosphere, the crowd, the good weather and, on top of that, honestly, these guys play very well."

Gareth Bale also spoke about his plans to increase participation in golf back in his homeland of Wales. He said:

"This year, with COVID-19, we had a hard time playing golf, but I'm hoping to come back to Wales this year and make the tournament bigger. My idea is to attract more kids to the sport and make it bigger and more affordable. We want to get a lot more people involved."

Gareth Bale's stats for Real Madrid this season

Gareth Bale has made three appearances for Real Madrid across all competitions this season
Gareth Bale has made three appearances for Real Madrid across all competitions this season

Gareth Bale has missed Real Madrid's last seven games across all competitions due to a knee injury. He enjoyed a decent start to the current campaign, scoring once in Los Blancos' 3-3 La Liga draw against Levante back in August.

According to Transfermarkt, the attacker is expected to spend 69 days on the sidelines, which will see him miss 14 matches.

As Gareth Bale continues his recovery, Carlo Ancelotti will need to look at other options within the squad to keep the Real Madrid attack going in the right direction.

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Edited by Rachel Syiemlieh