Bale says he gets more enjoyment from Wales than Real Madrid

Gareth Bale has risked fuelling the criticism of his commitment to Real Madrid by admitting he is more excited playing for Wales than for the Spanish giants.

Bale has not featured for Real since scoring in his country's 1-1 draw against Croatia on October 13 and a calf injury has prevented him from even training with his club's first-team squad.

So his decision to join up with Wales for their final Euro 2020 qualifiers against Azerbaijan in Baku on Saturday and Hungary on Tuesday has drawn negative comments in the Spanish press.

"I definitely have more excitement playing for Wales," Bale said at a press conference in Baku on Friday.

"I've been with most of the older players since we were in the Under-17s. It's like playing with your mates down the park on a Sunday. It's normal.

"With Wales, I'm speaking my own language and feel more comfortable. But it doesn't change what I do on the pitch. I always give 100 percent on the pitch wherever I am, that's what I always strive to do."
"Some of the things I have seen, people don't understand and don't know what they're on about. So I just find it quite funny."