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Real Madrid star Gareth Bale DOUBTED in ‘a***hole’ jibe by Rafael Van der Vaart
REAL MADRID forward Gareth Bale needs to be “an a***hole” if he is to rediscover his mojo.
That is according to former team-mate Rafael van der Vaart, who is doubtful whether the Welshman has what it takes to rekindle his Real career.
Bale has cut a maligned figure at the Bernabeu in recent weeks after fans turned on him during the El Clasico loss in early March.
He was booed off upon being subbed in the Barcelona clash, after which his agent labelled the Madridistas “a disgrace”.
The 29-year-old has been unable to fill the boots of Cristiano Ronaldo, who left for Juventus in the summer, but wants to at least see out his £620,000-a-week contract with Real Madrid, which expires in June 2022.
Zinedine Zidane’s return as manager was seen as a dent to Bale, with whom he had a fractious relationship in his first stint, but the Frenchman did give the forward his first start in three months before the international break.
The form which landed Bale his move to Los Blancos began at the start of the decade, when Dutch attacking midfielder Van der Vaart joined the Welshman at White Hart Lane.
And the ex-Tottenham and Real Madrid man has some peculiar words of advice for his former team-mate.
“It’s strange, but in Holland we say that sometimes you need to be an a***hole,” Van der Vaart told the Evening Standard.
You have to deal with it - and I don’t know if he can do that.
“You can also be a positive a***hole. He’s worth €100m — they paid a lot of money and he has to do it.
“In his last year at Spurs [in 2013], he took every free-kick, he decided everything.
“That’s what he has to do [at Real]. I realise it’s difficult, because you have so many good players, but he should do it more.”
Bale’s peers in the Spanish capital revealed recently that he still struggles to speak the language and turned down a team dinner because it was too late in the evening.
“Gareth is an amazing player but he’s a person that has to feel the confidence,” Van der Vaart added.
“He has to feel he is welcome. But I know Real is a difficult club if you don’t perform.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re Ronaldo, Bale or Van der Vaart — they’ll throw you out after just one year. You have to deal with it — and I don’t know if he can do that.
“I know him as a person and, with a Spurs hat, I always hope he’ll say: ‘Okay, I’ll come back.’ I don’t think it’s going to happen, but that would be a nice story.
“He’s a fantastic player, but he comes across a little bit quiet.”