MADRID - Gareth Bale has ruled out a move back to the Premier League from Real Madrid this summer.
Bale picked up his third Champions League winner’s medal in four incredible seasons after coming on as a late substitute in Real’s 4-1 demolition of Juventus in his home city of Cardiff on Saturday night.
After the game Real coach Zinedine Zidane refused to offer assurances about Bale’s future, saying only that it would be decided later in the off-season.
But asked directly if there was any hope for clubs like Manchester United who want to bring him back to England, Bale said: "I am happy here at Madrid. We are winning trophies and I am happy."
Bale was also asked if he saw his future at the club he joined from Tottenham in 2013.
The 27-year-old said: "Yes. I have signed a long-term contract at Madrid. My family is happy and I am happy so we will continue what we are doing."
Bale has only recently recovered from ankle surgery and has not started a game for Real since late April. It was therefore not a surprise to see him on the bench against Juventus as Zidane gave a starting spot to the Spaniard Isco.
On Sunday Bale tweeted the message "I am just getting started" from his personal social media account.However, Zidane’s response when asked about Bale’s future was strange, given that the Welshman only signed a new deal in Spain last October and is contracted to Real until 2022.
The Real coach said: "What’s important is that he was with us. It was very important for him to reach this final.I think I was correct to pick the team that started the game and he played a little so I’m really happy for him.
On top of that, he’s playing here at home. As for the rest, what we’re going to do now is enjoy what we’ve achieved and the rest we’ll see for next year. But first I just really want to enjoy it."
Bale won a Champions League with Real in his first season and repeated the feat last year. Now he is part of the only team to win back-to-back Champions League titles in the modern era after two goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and one each from Casemiro and Marco Asensio saw them home against Juventus.
"It was a very special occasion for me personally," said Bale. "It was an incredible feeling to lift that trophy here. I think it adds to the history of this club.This club is the biggest in Champions League history and now we have even more.
"It’s great to be a part of it and we want to make more.I only found out I wasn’t going to start just before the game, but I always knew really because I’d only been training for five days with the team and I was really lucky to be involved, to be honest. I worked double sessions for three, four weeks to get myself ready."
Bale has been coveted by United for a long time and the Premier League club want to be at the front of the queue if Real decided to cash in on one of their star names. But Bale believes he is part of a special team at the Bernabeu and clearly wants more.
"It’s three Champions League trophies in four years, not many people can say that. It’s why you’re a footballer, it’s the reason I came to the club," he said. He added: "I think we can get better. We are still quite young as a team and we have a great squad. We haven’t just got a great eleven, we have a great squad. So if any injuries come along there are other people who can do a job. We are confident and the plan is to win more."