Gareth Bale Not 'Playing Happy' for Real Madrid But Zinedine Zidane 'Delighted' With Attitude Change

Real Madrid superstar Gareth Bale has admitted that he is not 'playing happy’ for Los Blancos this season after a difficult few months that saw his proposed exit from the club blocked.

Bale has famously struggled to see eye to eye with Real coach Zinedine Zidane and the Frenchman’s return to the Bernabeu last season ensured that the summer would be dominated by speculation about a transfer away from the Spanish capital after six years.

JOSEP LAGO/GettyImages

The 30-year-old appeared to be on the verge of joining Chinese club Jiangsu Suning, only for the deal to collapse when Real pulled the plug. That the club called it off was surprising as Zidane had publicly expressed hope that the transfer would be concluded ‘for everyone’s sake’.

Bale later sat out some pre-season friendlies and there were even rumours that he could spend the next few months until January on the sidelines waiting for his next opportunity to leave.

Yet the player has started all three of Real’s La Liga games at the start of the new season, scoring twice to secure a point against Villarreal in his most recent appearance.

According to ESPN, Zidane has been ‘delighted’ with an apparent change in attitude from the player and is said to feel he could even be key to the Real project alongside Eden Hazard.

GABRIEL BOUYS/GettyImages

However, Bale himself has declared that he isn’t happy when he is playing for Real and expects ‘plenty more turbulence’ soon enough, although he is determined to remain professional.

“I understand I was made more of a scapegoat than most, I take it with a pinch of salt even though maybe it’s not all fully fair,” the former Tottenham hero told Sky Sports.

“I wouldn't say I’m playing happy but I’m playing, when I am playing I am professional and I am always giving all I can, whether that be for club or country,” he added.

Harry Trump/GettyImages

“I'm sure there’ll be plenty more turbulence, to be honest. I suppose it is something you will have to speak to Real Madrid about and it’s between me and them, and we will have to come to some sort of conclusion.”