Gareth Bale’s rapport with Cristiano Ronaldo key, says Harry Redknapp
Harry Redknapp feels Gareth Bale's rapport with Real Madrid talisman Cristiano Ronaldo is key if he wants to be a success at Bernabeu
Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has warned Gareth Bale of the risks he faces within the Real Madrid dressing room.
Redknapp, who spent four seasons in charge of Bale at Spurs, has declared that the 24-year-old’s rapport with Cristiano Ronaldo will be crucial to his success at the Santiago Bernabeu.
In his new autobiography, the current Queens Park Rangers boss wrote: “If Ronaldo feels threatened by Gareth’s arrival, Madrid could be a lonely place so he will need to lean a lot on [Real Madrid coach Carlo] Ancelotti, who speaks good English, and Paul Clement, Carlo’s assistant, who is English.”
He added: “Luka Modric is another old friend who could help him settle in.”
Redknapp also raised doubts about the Welshman’s ability to adapt to life in the Spanish capital: “I saw the photographs of him on his first day in Madrid, surrounded by relatives, and wondered how that young man will fare with a paparazzi camera being pushed into his face wherever he goes.”
He concluded: “His relationship with Ronaldo is the key to it all, because if the football is going well then all the added stresses are a minor irritation and nothing more. If the football is a struggle the other aggravations appear 10 times worse.”
This story was originally published on AS English. For the best sports news from Spain without picking up a dictionary, visit www.as.com/english
