Gareth Bale Real Madrid 2019-20

‘Bale is being shafted by Zidane and Real Madrid’ – Bentley questions snubbing of ex-Spurs star

Gareth Bale is “getting shafted” by Zinedine Zidane and Real Madrid, claims David Bentley, with the Wales international a player who can “do anything” and deserving of greater respect.

A dream switch to Spain in 2013 for the forward got off to a perfect start, with decisive contributions in Copa del Rey and Champions League successes.

Bale has collected a Liga title and three more European crowns since then, while passing the 100-goal mark for the Blancos, but his Santiago Bernabeu adventure has become something of a nightmare.

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Form and fitness issues are now seemingly never far away, with the 30-year-old becoming an easy target for a demanding fan base that is never afraid to make scapegoats of those that they consider to be underperforming.

Madrid boss Zidane also appears to have bought into that way of thinking, with the Frenchman choosing to overlook Bale on a regular basis across his two spells at the helm.

That has led to inevitable exit talk, but Bentley believes that a man he saw enjoy a meteoric rise to prominence at Tottenham is being unfairly treated by those reluctant to acknowledge his true value.

The former Spurs winger told 888sport: “Gareth Bale. He could do anything. We had numerous players when I was there who were talented and young footballers. We had loads.

“It’s only when I look back that I see we were a really great football team. We didn’t win anything but should have with [Luka] Modric and [Rafael] van der Vaart and [Jermain] Defoe, but Gareth Bale could do anything.

"His tackles were better. His free-kicks were better. He could throw it longer than anyone else and run faster and was stronger. He could leap and get up for a header. Literally an all-rounder.

“I just can’t believe what’s happening to him at Real Madrid. I think Zidane isn’t happy that Gareth scored a better goal than him. It sounds like a personal thing.

“The thing is Bale isn’t arrogant. He’s quiet. He will eat his dinner and not say much so maybe they then think he’s arrogant and just wants to play golf and not socialise, but he just wants to get on with what he’s getting on with.

“It annoys me because I always looked out for him. I watch him still at Real Madrid to see how he’s doing. He’s a lovely boy, well he’s a man now, and he’s done so well for himself. He is so successful yet he’s getting shafted.”

Bale earned his move to Madrid after starring in the Premier League, with there no plenty of talk that Harry Kane could soon tread a similar career path away from Tottenham.

Bentley concedes that the prolific striker is another who will be generating plenty of interest, but he cannot see a home-grown star being lured away from north London unless an “extraordinary offer” is tabled.

The ex-England international said of Kane: “When you have Daniel Levy in charge people won’t leave unless it’s financially correct for the football club.

“We will have to see how badly the club miss out on gate revenue because that’s what the stadium was built for and Champions League football is where the players want to be, but nobody will leave unless there is an extraordinary offer that’s for sure.”

Read the full 888sport interview with David Bentley here.

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