Ryan Giggs urges Gareth Bale to resist any interest from Manchester United and stay put at Real Madrid

Samuel Lovett 26 March 2018

Wales manager Ryan Giggs believes Gareth Bale should turn down any future offers from Manchester United and stay put at Real Madrid.

The forward has been subject to interest from United manager Jose Mourinho in recent transfer windows, with his future at the Bernabeu far from certain.

Repeated injuries and competition has seen Bale pushed to the periphery of Real Madrid’s first team at times, prompting speculation of a return to England.

But Giggs, who spent his whole playing career at United, believes Bale shouldn’t throw away his title-winning opportunities at Madrid for a life in Manchester.

“It’s Real Madrid – there are only a handful of clubs who have got that aura,” Giggs said. “Of course you would want to stay there. What’s Gareth won, three Champions League titles?

“The proof is in that. When you are at clubs like that, you are always going to win things. Gareth has the ability to score every type of goal and there are similarities with Cristiano Ronaldo. They both started out as wingers and they are now goalscorers.”

Giggs also hailed Bale for becoming Wales’ record goalscorer after the forward’s hat-trick against China got his managerial reign off to the perfect start.

Wales’ biggest win since a similar 6-0 success over San Marino in 1996 saw them through to the China Cup final against the Czech Republic or Uruguay on Monday.

Bale’s maiden international hat-trick – and the first by a Wales player since Robert Earnshaw against Scotland 14 years ago – took him to 29 goals from 69 appearances.

It moved him one above former Liverpool striker Ian Rush, who scored his 28 goals from 73 games during a Wales career lasting from 1980 to 1996.

“It is a tremendous achievement for Gareth, to be the top goalscorer in front of someone like Ian Rush – a legendary goalscorer and probably one of the best I have ever seen,” Giggs said.

“Probably once upon a time it was a record that many people thought would not get beaten.

“But Gareth has not only beat it, he will carry on scoring as he is a tremendous talent.

“It’s a fantastic moment for Gareth, he fully deserves it.”