Not the same player I was at Tottenham Hotspur, says Gareth Bale

Gareth Bale has failed to replicate the form that got him the move to the Spanish capital

Real Madrid star Gareth Bale has admitted that he hasn’t been the player he was when he played for Tottenham. This change, he believes, might have been due to the fact that La Liga hosts a very different style of football compared to the Premier League.

The Welsh international who is now 26 years of age, moved from White Hart Lane to the Santiago Bernabeu in 2013 for a world record transfer fee of £85 million. He has scored 43 goals in his 103 appearances for Real Madrid but has only been able to make 11 appearances this season so far mainly due to a calf injury.

He has surely developed playing alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema. The front three of Real Madrid, just like Barcelona, has earned a nickname owing to their prowess. BBC. Bale Benzema Cristiano. They were instrumental in achieving the long-awaited La Decima for the Spanish giants.

Bale also scored the third goal in Madrid’s 4-1 win over Getafe at the Bernabeu on Saturday.

“I'm happy with my season so far. I've had some injuries, but now I'm back to my best and I feel good about my performances,” he said after the match.

“I don't know why I'm not the same player I was at Tottenham. [La Liga] is a different league to the Premier League. It's a different style of football and perhaps that's the reason.”

This was his fourth goal of the season and it naturally takes some pressure off his shoulders.

No rift with Ronaldo: Bale

Bale has been booed by the Madrid fans on several occasions and questions have also been asked about the growing differences apparent between Bale and his star colleague Ronaldo.

Bale was quick enough to shake off such thoughts saying, “I've heard many stories which aren't true. He's one of the best players in the world.”

Bale had joined Tottenham from Southampton in 2007. The glories of Madrid came calling for his attention six years later, landing him alongside the biggest names in World football at Real Madrid.

Bale has been consistently linked with a move back to the Premier League, but he has repeatedly insisted that he is happy in Madrid.