RUSHIE: Stay in Spain and reign, Gareth
PREMIER LEAGUE SEASON
IAN RUSH has told fellow Wales icon Gareth Bale to ignore Manchester United’s overtures to bring the Real Madrid star back to the Premier League.
United boss Jose Mourinho and the country’s other titlechasing clubs including Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal have all been placed on red alert over the 28-year-old forward.
The Champions League holders are moving in on a £160million deal for Monaco’s Kylian Mbappe – and Bernabeu sources are indicating that Bale could be sacrificed to help fund the astronomical deal.
Bale is due to face Manchester United in the UEFA Super Cup on Tuesday night in Macedonia.
But Rush (below) believes that is as close to Manchester United as Bale should go.
He said: “If he’s happy then Gareth should stay in Spain, 100 per cent. He has improved as a player.
Learning
“He’s got great players like Cristiano Ronaldo to keep learning from. There are not many better clubs in the world than Real Madrid.
“I know that if he decided to come to England he would have the choice of all the top clubs here. Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool would all want him.
“There’s always a time and a place to come back but I don’t think it should be now. He is still relatively young.”
Former Liverpool striker Rush, 55, also feels that Bale’s game would be affected by the almost suffocating demands of the Premier League.
He added: “The demands of our football are the hardest of any league in the world.
“The reason why English clubs haven’t been doing well in Europe in recent seasons is because of this factor.
“The Premier League is so tough. There are no games in which you can switch off and go on to cruise control. Real Madrid and Barcelona can rest players in certain games and still win.
“You can’t do that in England so the season is a real grind. Gareth is able to fine tune his game in Spain.
“He is rested at times but if he came back to England, say for Manchester United, he would be playing week-in, week-out.
“That will be more demanding of him and it will be harder for him to hit the same heightsg which he
has r reached in a Res Real Madrid shirt.
“For instance, in Spain they have C Christmas and the New Year off – time to recharge the batteries. “Why would he want to give up something like that?
“Also there’s every chance that Real Madrid, who have won the Champions League two seasons running, will at least reach the semi-finals and final again. You can’t say that with any certainty about any English club Gareth joins.”
Rush also knows it would be a blow to leave Ronaldo behind.
He said: “I’ve seen huge improvements in Gareth’s game since joining Real Madrid. He is stronger physically, he is a better header of the ball.
“Look at Ronaldo when he heads the ball – now you can see similarities in Gareth’s technique. They are both devastating in the air.
“I imagine a lot of Gareth’s improvements have come from watching Cristiano – look at the way now the two of them hang in the air. It’s amazing.
“Gareth also seems to be able to run for ever now.
“He goes on lung-busting runs – something which again has gone up a notch since playing in Spain.
Culture
“Not enough players move abroad, which is a pity because it’s a chance to enjoy a different culture, improve as a player and as a person.
”That’s what has happened to Gareth and, unless he was really unhappy, there’s no advantage in coming back home.
“Wales have also greatly benefited from him playing in Spain for one of the best clubs in the world. Long may that continue.”