Gareth Bale reveals the best player he's played with...and it's not Ronaldo

Asked to name the best player he's ever played alongside, Gareth Bale raised a few eyebrows when his answer wasn't his Real Madrid teammate and three-time Balon d'Or winner, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Gareth Bale has revealed that the best player he’s ever played with is his former Wales teammate and Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs, not – to the surprise of some – three-time Balon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo.

"He was my hero" 

“For me, the best player is Ryan Giggs. He was my hero growing up and is a legend in world football. And he’s Welsh too,” Bale said during a sponsors event.

Giggs and Bale

Bale and Giggs made just two competitive appearances together for Wales back in 2007 before Giggs retired from international football.

Most decorated footballer in English football

The ex-United winger, now 42, made 672 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring 114 goals, and is the most decorated footballer in English football history having won 34 trophies in a glittering career. (13 Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups, two Champions Leagues, one European Super Cup, one Intercontinental Cup, one Fifa Club World Cup and nine Charity/Community Shields).

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Premier League clubs target action on 'out of control' player agents

Premier League clubs are to establish new regulations to curb agents targeting players as young as eight which they fear is making it harder to develop new talent and uncover another Wayne Rooney or Gareth Bale.

Football Association rules state that a player has to be aged 16 to sign with an agent but Southampton director of football and former FA director of football Les Reed told ESPN FC many are getting around them by forming relationships with their parents through financial and other inducements.

"The situation is getting out of control and we have to act," he said. "Agents are linking up with parents who then place huge pressure on their children; and we are talking about very young players who are just starting out at a club. For many parents having an agent has become like a fashion accessory."

Reed revealed that the agents-parents nexus was making the job of clubs to develop young players increasingly difficult.

He said: "Parents are becoming much harder to deal with. They argue with coaches when their sons are not being picked, challenge how the team is being run and even question tactics. And it's all because they are being egged on by agents who are turning their heads with money and how much their son could earn if he makes it to the first team."

Reed is also a former England under-15 coach who has worked with some of the brightest prospects in the game who went on to establish themselves at the top level, including Sol Campbell, Joe Cole, Wayne Rooney and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Southampton also have one of the most respected academies in British football having produced Theo Walcott and Gareth Bale in recent years.

He said: "We need to keep producing the likes of Bale and Rooney, to name just two but these predatory agents are having a negative impact on the national game."

Reed said that from discussions he has held so far, all 20 Premier League clubs support outlawing agents forming relationships with parents and also want to introduce other tougher regulations. These would then have to be adopted by the FA, the English game's governing body.

He claimed the problem has become particularly severe following changes introduced by FIFA last year which abolished the licensing of agents and replaced it with the concept of intermediaries and a less regulated system.

"Since these changes there are a lot more agents out there who are fighting over younger and younger players," he said. "It's absolute madness and it's become a free-for-all and we have to act to protect our young players."

Gareth Bale’s future father-in-law jailed for multi-million pound shares scam

Martin Rhys-Jones, the father of Bale's fiancée Emma, has been sentenced to six years in prison by a court in the United States.

Gareth Bale's future father-in-law has been jailed for six years in the United States over a multi-million pound shares scam.

Martin Rhys-Jones, the father of Bale's fiancée Emma Rhys-Jones, admitted money laundering in a $2.9m fraud earlier this year.

Rhys-Jones, 52, and his associates conned investors into buying almost worthless shares at hugely inflated prices.

Salesmen working for him in Barcelona used high pressure tactics to sell shares that were restricted and worth almost nothing, the Mirror reported.

About 250 people were scammed, the court in Buffalo, New York, was told.

'Fraud plain and simple'

The sums involved ranged from about $2,000 to more than $360,000 in one instance.

Rhys-Jones, of Cardiff, was prosecuted in the US as some of the cash went through an account in New York state before being moved overseas.

US District Judge Elizabeth Wolford said he engaged in “fraud plain and simple” in the three-year scam with 250 victims in the UK, US and Canada.

He admitted money laundering. Judge Wolford said he was “motivated by greed and self interest and didn’t take into account the people you were harming.”

Rhys-Jones was in a Spanish prison from May 2012 to March 2013 before being extradited to a US jail. He has already spent four years, three months behind bars.

Eleven others charged

Rhys-Jones is a father-of-five who is reported to have left Cardiff for Barcelona in 2005.

His daughter Emma has been Gareth Bale's partner since she and the football star were at Whitchurch High School in Cardiff together.

According to the Mirror, friends said their wedding was postponed in the hope Emma's dad could attend.

Eleven others were charged including British model Jamie-Lee Church.

GARETH BALE SPOTTED PLAYING GOLF AT ROYAL ABERDEEN

Welsh football star Gareth Bale enjoyed his summer break with a couple of rounds of golf in the North-east yesterday.

The Real Madrid player was spotted first at Trump International before heading to Royal Aberdeen.

It was reported the footballer was in the region with school friends as part of an annual golf trip they take.

Gareth Bale playing golf at Royal Aberdeen Golf Club in Aberdeen. Picture by Kenny Elrick

After playing at two of the North-east’s biggest courses the group headed south to St Andrews to play the Old Course today.

No English player would get in the Welsh team, claim Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey

Wales continued to bullishly provoke England in the pre-match mind-games yesterday when Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey both said that Roy Hodgson does not have a single player who would get into their team.

Bale was laughing as he made the claim but Ramsey looked more serious as he added that he believes that Wales are now the better team and that the pressure in Lens tomorrow for their Euro 2016 Group B match was all on England.

Hodgson had previously accused Bale of disrespecting England for saying that Wales have “more pride and passion” but the Real Madrid forward refused to back down yesterday and willingly expanded on his comments.

Bale says he is "glad England bit" on his comments and believes Wales can win

“It’s good they bit,” he said, smiling. “I didn’t say they didn’t have pride or passion. In my opinion we have more. They probably will say the same. I’m happy with the comments. We’ve got a massive team spirit, the best I’ve seen.

“Whatever sport it is, whether it’s football or rugby, I feel that we always take it [pride and passion] to the next level. It’s just my opinion. Nothing is fazing us, we don’t feel any pressure, we’re just going to go out and enjoy the occasion.” 

Bale also stressed that Wales “know their [England’s] weaknesses” and was asked to respond to Jack Wilshere’s claim that England have the superior team.

“They are entitled to their opinion - I don’t care,” said Bale. “If they think they have a better squad, good for them.”

Jack Wilshere hit back at Bale's comments on Monday CREDIT: MICHAEL REGAN - THE FA

Asked how many England players would get into this Wales team, he said: “None”. Bale was applauded off the press conference stage by a group of Wales fans and his observations were then backed up by Ramsey.

“I believe we have the best team,” said Ramsey. “We’ve been through a lot over the years; we’ve been together through thick and thin. We’re seeing the rewards of that. We believe in ourselves. We have grown as a team.”

Wales have not beaten England since 1984 although they did briefly climb above them in the Fifa rankings last year before falling behind again before this tournament.

“It’s about time we did beat them,” said Ramsey. “We are top [of the group], they got a draw, all the pressure is on them. We’ve got no pressure, everyone is expecting them to win, hopefully that will play to our advantage. We are having fun.”

The relaxed sense of enjoyment is certainly in contrast to the tension that has often been evident around England at recent tournaments.

The decision by the Football Association of Wales to make their two highest-profile players available for interview yesterday would certainly have been carefully considered and manager Chris Coleman will hope that it sends a clear message about the quality and ambition of his team.

Coleman made the point earlier in the week that he thinks Wales “have always settled for too little” and wants his players to behave in a more self-confident way.

Chris Coleman, the Welsh manager CREDIT: BPI/REX/SHUTTERCOCK

“If you want it, you have got to give it,” he said. Bale and Ramsey certainly did that yesterday, although they both acknowledged that any “mind games” will ultimately have only a limited bearing on what happens during the game.

Ramsey, though, did appear utterly genuine in referencing the difficulties that this Wales team have experienced as a reason for their superior collective strength.

Aaron Ramsey was in a relaxed mood ahead of the game with England CREDIT: STU FORSTER/GETTY IMAGES 

“We have had some really low points and we are now experiencing some fantastic experiences,” he said. “We are dangerous going forward and create opportunities, we give everything and leave nothing out there. That is our identity. We will be more interested in doing our talking on the pitch.”

Ramsey was then asked about the specific tension that seems to follow England at major tournaments. “They always seem to do well in the qualifying campaign and then there is a lot of pressure when they get to the finals,” he said.

“That is something they experience but we don’t because we did so well in the qualification campaign and in getting here. We are first British team to get off to a winning start. The result puts us in a good position - we will have even more belief now. The pressure is all on them. We're relaxed. We're enjoying every minute of it, it's a new experience. Anything that happens is a bonus. There's no pressure.” 

Ramsey admitted that he struggled to contain his tears when the Wales national anthem was played before the match against Slovakia.

Coleman also arranged for the players’ families to send them messages before the Slovakia match, with Ramsey especially moved by a video of his seven-month-old son, Sonny.

“It's been a while since I saw my little boy,” he said. “So much change happens. Seeing him and my wife was quite upsetting but they're all behind and realising we are doing something special.

Ramsey (left) and Bale both faced the media on Tuesday CREDIT: STU FORSTER/GETTY IMAGES

"That was probably the biggest thing I've had to overcome so far. He's started crawling now and my wife managed to capture it on video so I was able to see it. He's got a mini Wales number 10 shirt.” 

Bale also delivered positive news on the fitness of goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey, who has had an injection after missing the Slovakia match with a back spasm. 

“He’ll recover I’m sure for the game,” he said. Joe Ledley, who returned to play against Slovakia on Saturday just 35 days after breaking his leg for Crystal Palace, also says that he is ready to start.

Barcelona thrash Espanyol, Real Madrid win, Atletico crash out of title race

Barcelona closed in on the La Liga title by thrashing local rivals Espanyol 5-0 on Sunday as Atletico Madrid dropped out of the race after losing 2-1 at Levante and Real Madrid beat Valencia 3-2.

Barca top the standings on 88 points, Real moved into second on 87 and Atletico have 85 with one game remaining.

Barca went ahead in the eighth minute when Lionel Messi curled a 22-yard free kick into the top corner with a magnificent finish.

Luis Suarez stretched the hosts' lead with two goals in the second half before Rafinha and Neymar completed the rout.

Atletico took the lead at Levante in the first minute through Fernando Torres, but the relegated home side fought back, equalising through Victor Casadesus before Giuseppe Rossi grabbed the winner in stoppage time.

Real were without goalkeeper Keylor Navas, defender Dani Carvajal, midfielder Luka Modric and winger Gareth Bale through injury, but went ahead thanks to a thunderous low finish from Cristiano Ronaldo in the 26th minute.

Karim Benzema scored the second before the break but Rodrigo Moreno, who was later sent off, pulled one back for Valencia after halftime.

Ronaldo added his second a few minutes later before Andre Gomes scored a sumptuous consolation goal for Valencia.

Gareth Bale becomes the top British goalscorer in La Liga history

The Welshman scored his 43rd league goal since arriving at the Bernabeu back in 2013.

Real Madrid star Gareth Bale has become the top British goalscorer in La Liga history.

Bale passed the ball into an empty net during Real Madrid's 4-0 win over Sevilla to bag his 43rd goal in just 76 league appearances.

He surpasses England legend Gary Lineker, who took 103 matches to find the net 42 times for Los Blancos' fierce rivals Barcelona.

Gareth Bale scores against Celta Vigo to equal Gary Lineker's La Liga best.

Bale should have taken the record when he had a goal wrongly disallowed for offside early in the match, but the 26-year-old got his rewards when Karim Benzema put it on a plate for him in the 66th minute.

The Welshman was left out of Chris Coleman's squad for the upcoming friendlies against Northern Ireland and the Ukraine as he continues to return to full fitness, having made a comeback from his most recent calf injury earlier this month.

Transfer gossip: Chelsea keen to swap Eden Hazard for Gareth Bale

Unsettled Real Madrid star Gareth Bale's and the German Bundesliga's deadliest marksman feature in today's transfer round-up.

BALE COULD BE A TARGET FOR CHELSEA

Real Madrid’s eagerness to bring Chelsea’s Eden Hazard to the Bernabeu may see them consider a lavish swap deal involving their club record signing Gareth Bale, according to fresh reports.

Rumours in Spain over the last few months have suggested that Hazard is one of Real Madrid’s top transfer targets, with the club’s new manager Zinedine Zidane known to be a firm admirer of the Belgian playmaker.

Despite his alarming slump in form in the back end of 2015, Real Madrid still see Hazard as a player they want to add to their ranks of superstars and the question remains whether they would allow Bale to leave if he is being replaced by the current PFA Footballer of the Year.

Manchester United tried and failed with extravagantly expensive bids to sign Bale from Real Madrid last summer, but a move that could see both clubs acquiring top quality players may be more palatable to the hierarchy at the Spanish club.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid have played down reports that Bale is unhappy at the club following the sacking of coach Rafa Benitez on Monday, with Zindane insisting the Welshman is a central cog in the club’s future.

DORTMUND STAR COULD BE A BIG JANUARY MOVER

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could emerge as the biggest signing by a Premier League club in this transfer window, amid fresh reports in Germany the Bundesliga’s leading scorer could be destined for the Premier League.

Arsenal and Liverpool are believed to be at the front of the queue to sign Aubameyang, with the 26-year-old Frenchman missing training with his club on Tuesday due to “a personal appointment”, according to a club statement.

Bids in excess of £40m would be required before Dortmund would consider selling their star man this month, but that figure may not deter big spending Premier League clubs who have the guarantee of a windfall of fresh money from the lucrative new TV contract that will kick in next summer.

“We all hope he will stay,” said his Dortmund team-mate Matthias Ginter when asked about Aubameyang. “He’s very important, on the pitch and off, for what he contributes to the group atmosphere.”

Aubameyang has fired 18 Bundesliga goals this season, with Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp well aware of his abilities as he worked with the Frenchman in his final two years with Dortmund.

ARSENAL CLOSE ON THEIR FIRST JANUARY SIGNING

FC Basel midfielder Mohamed Elneny is edging closer to a deal to become Arsenal’s first signing of the January transfer window, after his club confirmed they expected him to leave “in the coming days.”

Basel returned to training on Tuesday after the Christmas break and Elneny was not a part of the group working under coach Urs Fischer.

A statement on Basel’s website read: “Absent (from training) was Mohamed Elneny, for who there could be a transfer in the coming days.”

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has hinted that he will be busy in this transfer window, with Elneny set to be the first of several signings designed to bolster their squad in a season when they are emerging as favourites to lift the Premier League title.

FALCAO OFF TO AMERICA?

Chelsea are eager for Radamel Falcao to find a new club this summer after his disastrous and expensive loan move from Monaco, with a report in the Daily Mirror suggesting MLS side Columbus Crew are eyeing up a bid for the Colombian.

A move to MLS at the age of 29 would confirm that Falcao’s days as a top level performer are over, but his stock has never been lower after a woeful spell at Manchester United last season has been backed up by an equally poor stint at Chelsea in the last few months.

Chelsea will be forced to continue to pay Falcao’s wages for the rest of this season unless he finalizes a move in this transfer window, with his parent club Monaco under no obligation to take him back under the teams of his year-long deal they agreed with the Premier League champions.

Zinedine Zidane: Gareth Bale appears less enthusiastic than his Real Madrid team-mates upon greeting new boss

Real Madrid have released footage of the moment new manager Zinedine Zidane greeted his players for the first time since his appointment - and some seem more enthusiastic than others.

The Frenchman replaced Rafael Benítez this week in a move which has reportedly unsettled Gareth Bale, the world’s most expensive player, who has been linked relentlessly with a move to Manchester United.

Zidane is captured strolling across the bench in the Madrid dressing room, notably passing an empty spot where Bale was supposed to be sat, before eventually finding the former Tottenham forward.

Unlike his team-mates, Bale doesn’t stand up immediately and instead shakes his new manager’s hand sat down before climbing to his feet and exchanging a joke with the Madrid boss.

Speaking on Tuesday, Zidane admitted: “I understand that Gareth could be annoyed by Rafa’s departure because he was a very important coach in his career.

“But he is going to receive the same affection from me. He is fundamental for the team and what he has been doing of late for us on the pitch is phenomenal. He will have all my support so that he continues to play well for us.”