Gareth Bale clarifies Real Madrid return comments: ‘Legally I have to go back’

Winger rejoined Spurs on loan at the start of the season

Gareth Bale in action for Tottenham this season (Getty Images)

Gareth Bale has insisted he meant no disrespect to Tottenham when he said he would return to Real Madrid at the end of the season, while reiterating his intentions to leave the north London club this summer.

Bale returned to Spurs at the start of the season on a season-long loan deal, seven years after joining Madrid.

The Wales captain seemed to have fallen out with Zinedine Zidane, head coach at the La Liga club, in recent seasons, but Bale is still keen to head back to Spain and prove himself in the capital.

“Obviously, going into next season, legally my contract says I have to go back to Real Madrid, which is what I stated, which I don’t think is being disrespectful to anybody – that’s legally what I have to do,” Bale said ahead of Wales’ World Cup qualifier at home to the Czech Republic.

“Real Madrid are I guess my parent club and, as far as I agreed, I was at Tottenham on loan until the end of the season and I go back. That’s the plan so far.

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“The reason I left [Madrid] is because I wanted to play games and enjoy my football. Come summer I will go back to Real Madrid and we will go from there. Then whether then I sit down with my agent and decide, that’s something I will do in the summer.”

Bale has scored 10 goals in 25 appearances in all competitions since his loan move and has recently begun to show some of his best form after struggling initially for fitness.

The 31-year-old said his only priority at the moment was helping Wales in their bid for World Cup qualification and finishing the season strongly with Tottenham.

“I am concentrating on this season. There’s a game tomorrow, big end of the season with Tottenham. I don’t need to worry about anything else,” he said.

“After the Euros and my summer holiday I will sit down, we’ll go through it then and come to a solution.”

Wales are looking to bounce back from defeat by Belgium in their opening qualifier last week, having won a friendly against Mexico 1-0 since that loss.

Reuters