As the looming 2016/17 La Liga campaign approaches, Gareth Bale will be keen on stepping out of Cristiano Ronaldo’s shadow.
Despite Alvaro Morata being the club only significant signing of the summer, Real Madrid will look to fend-off both last season La Liga winners Barcelona and Atletico Madrid for the 2016/17 title.
After finishing one point behind the Blaugranas, Madrid will delve into their season opener against Real Sociedad without their perennial 50 goals scorer, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Keylor Navas in Anoeta. With Karim Benzema struggling for fitness, Gareth Bale will be pivotal to Los Blancos push for honors.
The former Tottenham Hotspur winger is healthy and rested as he enter his fourth season at the Spanish Capital and 2016/17 might quite possibly be the year of Gareth Bale. The 27-year-old was vital to Wales success at Euro 2016, as he lead the attack in every statistical. Bale was everything his country needed him to be and more. He was deadly from free kicks, netting two, incinerated the opposing team defenders with his forceful runs and more importantly was the face of his nation.
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But is the Welshman ready to emerge from his counter-part Cristiano Ronaldo’s shadow?
“I feel much more a part of things at Madrid now, Bale revealed to the Sun.
“In your first year at a new club you don’t know a lot of people and you have
to create relationships.
“But now I feel more settled, more integrated into the team and more involved
in everything.
“Coming to another country is difficult, especially for British people. It has
taken me time to settle in and learn the language.
“I’ve been having Spanish lessons and I’m trying to speak a lot more. It’s not
been easy but I’m trying my best and improving all the time.
“I feel I’m learning the culture, my family’s happy and I’m happy, which is
ultimately making my football better.”
It wasn’t always like this for the former most expensive footballer, Bale struggled for form last May and his agent, Jonathan Barnett admitted the difficulty his client’s was facing with the Spanish giants.
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“We’ve been vindicated by these statistics and it’s what we’ve been saying all along,” Barnett told the Telegraph. “Real have to work with Gareth and pass the ball to him more. Give him more of the ball and let him show everybody what he’s good at.”
“He’s going to be the best player at Real Madrid when his team-mates work with him and help him.”
Bale will need to build on his compelling Euro 2016 if Real Madrid are looking to dethrone their city rivals Atletico Madrid and Barcelona for the league trophy.