Bale is better off at Madrid
CHRIS COLEMAN is hoping Gareth Bale continues his reign in Spain and vetoes a Premier League return.
Rumours are rife that Real Madrid are losing patience with their £85million star after he picked up a groin injury having just overcome a calf problem. He has missed 40 of Real’s last 60 matches.
Coleman hopes he stays in Spain as he believes the physicality of the Premier League is far greater. But more than anything else, Coleman – set to take charge of his 50th and final game as Wales manager under his current contract at home to Panama tonight – wants Bale to play where it best suits him.
“I’d like to see Gareth play wherever he is happy,” said Coleman. “If I’m going to be the Welsh manager for the next two or four years, whatever it is, I’d like to see him stay at Real Madrid.
“Yes, he’s picked up a lot of injuries, but generally the Premier League is much tougher than La Liga in terms of physicality. When he is happy he plays great football.”
Coleman is hoping his own Wales future will be resolved by the time his contract runs out at the end of this month. WEST HAM’S new assistant manager Stuart Pearce says the club need to regain confidence to have any chance of staying up.
The ex-Hammer, right, said: “Confidence has been dented and that is part of the task, to get that back on track.
“We need to find that togetherness again and the players are the most powerful ones of all in showing that.”