Former Tottenham and Real Madrid star Gareth Bale recently gave an interview to Camel Live, where he discussed a range of topics about his career and personal life.
What was it like playing in the famous BBC trident with Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema?
We had a great relationship in the dressing room, absolutely no conflicts.I got on really well with Benzema. He’s a quiet guy, mostly with the French lads like Varane. We never argued once.Ronaldo and I provided the pace out wide, and Benzema was the focal point linking everything together.When I arrived, the side became more balanced. Ronaldo on the left, me on the right, Benzema through the middle – both a false nine and a proper number nine.It took a long time for Benzema to get the recognition he deserved; the spotlight was always on Ronaldo, and the media focused on him more.He joined Real Madrid at a very young age, not for a huge fee, and worked his way up.We didn’t need loads of tactical work – top players just fit.
You know what your teammates can and can’t do.For example, Ronaldo didn’t track back much, so I sacrificed myself more and dropped deeper to help. Tactics weren’t that complicated.
Were you the fastest player in the squad?
Ronaldo would definitely disagree. But I think I was! (laughs)
What was Zinedine Zidane like as a manager?
He was already a legend as a player, so he commanded automatic respect.He played in Serie A and understood defensive football. In big games, he kept it simple with defensive structure.Most training sessions were just possession and finishing.Carlo Ancelotti, meanwhile, was brilliant at man-management; he made sure no one felt left out.Real Madrid doesn’t need complicated tactics – they need managers who can control big egos and keep the group united.
What’s the real story behind the “Wales, Golf, Madrid” slogan?
It had absolutely nothing to do with me.It was a fake story made up by the Spanish media after Wales qualified.I only played golf once every two or three weeks – I was extremely professional.I had a strict rule: I never touched a club before a match. If we played on Saturday, no golf after Wednesday.But the media kept pushing it, and the fans bought into it. The less I defended myself, the bigger the story became.
How did you deal with social media and media pressure?
I stopped reading comments a long time ago.Out of 100 messages, you only focus on the one negative one. It kills your form and confidence – why bother?I approve my own posts, but my team handles everything else. I don’t scroll.Looking back, that was the best decision I ever made.