Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale must offer more to join La Liga elite, says Terry Gibson
Monday 31 October 2016 23:18, UK
Gareth Bale needs to "go up a level" if he is to join La Liga's elite group of players, says Spanish football expert Terry Gibson.
The Real Madrid forward signed a new five-and-a-half year deal with the club this week, improving the terms from his then-record breaking transfer of £85m from Tottenham in 2013.
He reportedly stands to earn as much as £150m from the contract, but Gibson believes he needs to improve his game to be considered among the best in Spain and the world.
"I think there is room for improvement. I hope he understands that he has to take that next step to become a contender for the Ballon d'Or and to be associated as a possible candidate to win it which he hasn't been yet," the Sky Sports pundit told the La Liga Weekly podcast.
"He needs to perhaps show the form that he has showed for Wales and the personality he has shown for Wales. At Real Madrid, I feel like he has conformed to the framework of the team, they style of play, his position in the team in terms of status at the club.
"Now, I think he really needs to go up a level to join the illustrious names at the top of the list that are there every season: Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suarez, Neymar.
"He needs to push on to get there and I say that because I feel like he can. The talent is there, the ability is there but he needs to be a little bit more forthright in his performances.
"I would give him 7/10 for his time at Real Madrid. There has been the odd occasion where he has blossomed and you think he's going to push on and become that superstar at Real Madrid, but I think he has been solid.
"I can fully understand why Real Madrid have given him a new contract and it is always going to cost a lot of money because of how much they paid for him, how much they could get for him if they sold him so his status demands one of the high salaries in world football."
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Bale has said he would like to spend the rest of his career with Los Blancos, although Gibson says he is more restricted in Zinedine Zidane's system compared to his time with Wales and Tottenham.
"It is set in stone, the front three. Zidane is kind of governed by the fact he did say the front three would always play if they were fit," he added.
"That means working a system around one centre-forward in Ronaldo who wants to play where he likes to at any given time when fit and it means that Gareth Bale out of the three has got the position of wider on the right.
"It's not an impossible position for him, but when you see him play for Wales and when you watched him play for Tottenham, he had that free role where he could use his ability to drop deep, get the ball, run at players, shoot from distance and drive through defences, run past defenders using his skill and his pace.
"He's a bit more restricted in the system at Real Madrid."
