Gareth Bale’s international manager Chris Coleman has said he never had any doubt the forward would succeed at Real Madrid.
The Wales boss told Sky Sports News that he never believed any of the criticism Bale came under after a slow start to life in the Spanish capital. The 24-year-old missed much of pre-season with a foot injury, and despite scoring on his debut for Los Blancos, missed much of the early part of the campaign with a thigh problem.
But the Welsh international has come into form in recent weeks, and has now scored nine goals in total for Los Blancos, with a further six assists. His highlight so far was undoubtedly his hat trick for the club in the 4-0 win over Valladolid at the weekend to help close the gap to leaders Barcelona in La Liga to just three points.
Coleman, who recently signed a new deal as Wales manager, said: “Last month after El Clasico he was under pressure, but a month later he is playing well and everyone realises what a good player he is and that’s good news for everyone.
“His talent was never in doubt. He is a fantastic player – one of the top players on the planet.”
He added that Bale feels comfortable in Madrid and is enjoying his football alongside stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo. “He has to be himself, enjoy his football and keep playing the way he can and the way he has over the last two or three years,” Coleman stated.
