June 06, 2015 19:21:42 UK
Gareth Bale says he wants to stay at Real Madrid and improve as a player.
The Welsh winger, who moved to the Bernabeu in 2013 from Tottenham for a world record £85.3m, had a triumphant first year but has found this campaign more difficult and there has been speculation about a return to the Premier League.
We will go again next year and try to win it.
Gareth Bale
However, Bale says he wants to stay in Spain and win more trophies with Real. He said: “Playing for Madrid is a learning curve for me. I’m still getting used to being at such a big club.
“It has been a great experience in good or bad times. Personally, I’ve enjoyed it.
“Maybe I haven’t scored as many as I would have liked. It’s something for me to work on in the off season to get my finishing a bit better.”
Bale had a hugely successful first year in Spain, scoring 22 including goals in Real’s wins in the Champions League final and in the final of the Copa del Rey.
This year however, though he has scored 17 goals, the team have failed to win La Liga and were beaten by Juventus in the semi-finals of the Champions League.
They would have met Barcelona in the final, but Bale says the relative failure this season will drive them on to more success next, adding: “We were devastated not to be in the final this year. We tried as best as we could but it wasn’t meant to be.
“We will go again next year and try to win it.”
Bale, who is with the Welsh squad as they prepare for a Euro 2016 qualifier against Belgium on 12 June, will be working with a new manager at the Bernabeu next season with Rafael Benitez having taken over from Carlo Ancelotti.
Real are 6.50 to win next season’s Champions League. Barcelona are 4.50 and Chelsea 9.00.
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