Gareth Bale has hit back at criticism from Real Madrid fans who object to the amount of golf he plays. When Wales qualified for the now postponed Euro 2020 competition he tweeted “Wales, golf, Madrid in that order”.

“I don’t know what their reason is because I’ve spoken to doctors and everybody’s fine with it. The media has this perception that it’s not good for me, you should be resting, it can cause you injuries.

He has built a golf course in his back garden in Wales, added that he plays on a handicap between three and four and plays golf at least twice a day when the football season is over.