Chris Coleman welcomes Gareth Bale's 'ridiculous' new Real Madrid deal

Wales boss Chris Coleman has welcomed Gareth Bale's new contract at Real Madrid - but says the forward is not motivated by his "ridiculous" wages.

The 27-year-old's deal until 2022 is reportedly worth £600,000 per week, £350,000 after tax.

That is more than Coleman earns in a year, but the Wales manager laughed off that fact and says Bale's motivation is succeeding with Wales and Real.

"The fact he's settled, it's all done and dusted, is fantastic," he said.

"It's a ridiculous amount of money. It is. We can't seriously sit here and say it's normal to play a game of football and earn that type of money.

"But what would we do if we were offered that amount? We're not going to say no to it. That's the going rate. It's crazy but it's the going rate.

"The people like him who get to that level, that's not really what motivates him. What motivates him is sticking the ball in the net, doing something amazing, achieving something with Wales no-one's ever achieved."

Gareth Bale is Wales' second all-time leading scorer with 25 goals, three behind Ian Rush

Bale helped Wales reach the semi-finals of Euro 2016, their first appearance at a major tournament since the 1958 World Cup.

Since joining from Tottenham in 2013, Bale has helped Real win five trophies in the past three seasons, including the Champions League twice, and scored 62 goals in 135 appearances.

Despite a difficult second campaign at the Bernabeu, he excelled last season and has been rewarded with a place on the 30-man shortlist for this year's Ballon d'Or.

"That's where he belongs - he belongs at that level. He belongs in that spotlight," Coleman added.

"You have to look at him as probably the most successful player to come from this way to go that way [abroad]. To do what he has done is absolutely amazing.

"He likes that spotlight - he's used to it now. He had a season where he was getting criticised heavily and I think he's said himself it helped him really. He came through that and he's not looked back, so I'm pleased he's settled."

Asked about the fact Bale now earns more in a week than he does in a year, Coleman joked: "It was probably like that at Tottenham!

"He's not driven by that financial thing of earning so many millions. He's capable of getting that and he's got it and good luck to him, but actually what he wants is to win the Champions League again, win La Liga, do well again with Wales, go on and get 50 goals for Wales or 100 caps.

"He's been linked with this club and that club, all the big clubs. Personally I've always known he wanted to stay there [Real] - he loves it there."