Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale has moved to clarify recent comments that suggested he had no intention of extending his stay at Tottenham.
The Welshman is on a season-long loan deal in north London and many had expected him to make the move permanent, particularly given Real Madrid’s desire to offload him.
However, Bale took a cold approach to questions about his future last week, insisting he will return to Real Madrid. The comments were taken at face value, leaving Spurs fans to question if the Welshman had any intention of staying at the club.
But Bale has sought to clarify those comments, insisting that he was merely talking about the legal nature of his contract.
‘Legally my contract says I have to go back to Real Madrid,’ said Bale.
‘I don’t think I was being disrespectful to anybody. It’s going to be a big end of season with Tottenham, then the Euros. After my summer holiday I will sit down & hopefully come up with a solution.’
Bale made a slow start at Tottenham and Jose Mourinho was unhappy with the condition in which the forward arrived in north London.
However, the winger has found his form in recent weeks, scoring six of his ten goals this term in his last 12 matches.
The Real Madrid man admitted he was far from in his best condition when he arrived and it’s taken time to get up to full speed.
‘I came into Tottenham with a problem in my knee,’ said Bale.
‘I haven’t played football continuously for a year and a half. The last couple months I’ve felt stronger. I wish it could have started a lot quicker but I’m wise enough to know it does take time to get rhythm back.’