The former Welsh star Gareth Bale spoke about many milestones in his career with Real Madrid during his appearance on the Stick to Football podcast alongside several football legends like Ian Wright, Gary Neville, and Paul Scholes.

The Welsh star began his talk about: "I wasn't surprised by Xabi Alonso's dismissal. At Real Madrid, if you cross the line a little, the players don't want that. All you need is to be a great coach, not necessarily a tactical genius."

He added: "Manchester United and Real Madrid were the clubs interested in signing me. In fact, United made a bigger financial offer than Real Madrid. I spoke with coach David Moyes at the time, but my heart was with Real Madrid."

He continued: "Real Madrid prioritizes the Champions League. The president is present a day before the match, and you don't want to disappoint him. He loves football and wants to leave a big legacy, which makes him the best president in Real Madrid's history."

About the trio of Bale, Ronaldo, and Benzema at Real Madrid: "We understood each other wonderfully. Karim was very calm and spent more time with Raphael Varane and the French players. We played together excellently, and everything seemed natural, and we didn't work much on the tactical side."

He added: "Cristiano was more of a showman when he was at Manchester United, but he turned into a goal machine after two or three seasons of my arrival in Madrid. He was highly motivated, and all he wanted was to score goals. Was I the fastest at Real Madrid? Cristiano would say he was, but I believe it was me."

On the real leader in the Real Madrid dressing room: "Sergio Ramos, without a doubt. Cristiano was a natural leader, but the real leader of the team was Ramos. Dani Carvajal arrived in Madrid when I did. He's like a bulldog; even if he played a bad game, he'd keep attacking you repeatedly. He was a very useful player for the team."

He continued about the coaches he worked with in Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane: "Zidane had great respect because of his career as a player. Carlo's management was the best; even when you didn't play, he made you feel like you were his best player. Ancelotti was like your best friend, but if you didn't train well, he could criticize you harshly. He had a perfect balance. Zidane didn't rely much on tactics. We did simple training: possession, shooting, and a bit of defensive work. But he earned everyone's respect because of what he was as a player. The best coach I've worked with is Carlo Ancelotti."

About the story of the Wales.. Golf.. Madrid banner: "The Spanish press exaggerated the golf issue. I played once every two or three weeks only, but they portrayed it as if I did nothing but play golf. However, I was always professional."

He concluded: "All I wanted was to play football, go home, and spend time with my family. In Madrid, they want you to be a media star, but I wasn't. Sometimes I felt that the press attacked me more than necessary, but I didn't change my personality and stuck to my position."