Bale asked why he played golf so much in Madrid

There are few things that Gareth Bale loves more than a round of golf. He’s never hidden his passion for the sport and during his time at Real Madrid, it was even suggested that he seemed to gain more enjoyment from golf than he did from his chosen profession, football. During the recent British Golf Open at Royal Liverpool in Hoylake, as he was practicising his swing, Bale was asked by Sky Sports’ Nick Dougherty how he got away with spending so much time playing golf during his time in the Spanish capital.

“I never played that much,” came the reply, “It’s a rumour”. A likely story, thought Dougherty, who came straight back: “Oooh yeah. That swing happened by accident did it?”