Gareth Bale admits that he showed great character to fight through the hard days to become a success at Real Madrid.

On Monday, Welsh forward Gareth Bale signed a contract extension at Real Madrid which will keep him at the Bernabeu until 2022. The 27-year-old was a reported target of Manchester United, but the news of an extension will certainly put all the transfer rumours to bed.

According to ESPN, Bale said he’s had to battle a number of obstacles that came his way in his initial days at Spain to become the success he is today. He also spoke about his topsy-turvy ride in the country’s top tier and believed his attitude his what saw him over the line. The Wales captain said:

“There have been a lot of great moments, in football there are always ups and downs. Winning the Champions League, for this club, is the pinnacle.

“There have been bad moments too, that always happens wherever you are, but the important thing is how you react.

“It would be easy to pack up and leave and go elsewhere, but it takes more character to stay here, fight and make things work.”

SAN SEBASTIAN, SPAIN - AUGUST 21: Gareth Bale of Real Madrid duels for the ball with David Zurutuza of Real Sociedad during the La Liga match between Real Sociedad de Futbol and Real Madrid at Estadio Anoeta on August 21, 2016 in San Sebastian, Spain. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
SAN SEBASTIAN, SPAIN – AUGUST 21: Gareth Bale of Real Madrid duels for the ball with David Zurutuza of Real Sociedad during the La Liga match between Real Sociedad de Futbol and Real Madrid at Estadio Anoeta on August 21, 2016 in San Sebastian, Spain. (Photo Courtesy: Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

Bale moved to Real Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2013 for what was a then world record fee of £86 million. This amount eclipsed the previous £80 million Los Blancos paid Manchester United for Portuguese talisman Cristiano Ronaldo.

While Ronaldo hit the ground running in his first season in Spain, it wasn’t smooth sailing for the Welshman. He managed to find the back of the net every now and then, but went missing in the bigger matches.

In his second campaign, he was shown the wrong side of the Bernabeu faithful who jeered the player for his wayward finishing an erratic form. There were also hints about cracks beginning to form in his relationship with Ronaldo, but that was soon waved off once the duo combined to win the Champions League.

Now, in his fourth season at Real Madrid, Bale has become one of his side’s key players. He has filled in the void of Ronaldo on a number of occasions and with the Portuguese turning 32 in February, the club’s record may be the ideal man to guide Los Blancos to new heights.

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