Monday 23 December 2019 06:31, UK
Wales boss Ryan Giggs insists Gareth Bale is unfazed by the criticism he gets at Real Madrid and is still very much in love with football.
The 30-year-old has continually struggled with form and fitness under Real boss Zinedine Zidane and has also courted controversy for playing golf so regularly.
It has led to suggestions Bale's passion for the game may have disappeared - something his Wales boss vehemently denied.
"He still very much loves the game and playing it; loves winning, loves scoring goals, loves making goals," Giggs told Sky Sports News.
"It's all noise you can't control and it's about blocking it out so if you don't hear it then it's not going to affect you.
"Gareth (Bale) is at one of the biggest clubs in the world, he's won four Champions Leagues, he's won everything so he can handle it (the criticism)."
Giggs himself won over sceptical Wales fans by guiding them to next summer's Euro 2020, without the need to go through the play-offs.
That appeared an unlikely prospect after they lost consecutive away matches to Croatia and Hungary in June before picking up 11 points for their final five qualifiers.
However, Giggs is already looking past this summer's tournament to future success with the national team.
"In the summer, I was the worst manager in the world - that was only six months ago," Giggs added.
"Now, people look at me differently - things change and they will do again, it's a rollercoaster.
"I wanted to manage Wales to get them to the Euros but also, ultimately, to get them to the World Cup and that's my immediate future past the Euros.
"The last time we were at a World Cup was 1958 so I want to get this set of players to the World Cup."
