Bale: I am under less pressure at Real

Gareth Bale believes he is under less pressure to perform at Real Madrid than he was at previous club Tottenham.

Bale moved to the Liga giants for a club record fee in September after winning the PFA Player and Young Player of the Year awards in his final season at Spurs.

Following his departure, Tottenham signed a host of players to fill the gap left by Bale, but have stuttered this season and sit seventh, having sacked manager Andre Villas-Boas on Monday.

The Wales international claims he felt he was integral to Spurs’ attacking play whereas, at Real, the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Angel Di Maria and Isco can all assist in that regard.

“At Tottenham I was always trying to get onto the ball and make everything tick, whereas here everybody’s doing that,” he told The Telegraph.

“There are world-class players all around the pitch and you’re able to concentrate just on your game rather than bringing the whole team forward, and I’m enjoying that.”

After a slow start to life at the Santiago Bernabeu, Bale has found his feet, contributing nine goals in all competitions. with Real in third.

“It was difficult not having a pre-season, you miss a lot of ball sessions and running and everything,” he explained.

“Once I felt I was able to do that physically and mentally, I felt I was able to show what I was able to do.”