Gareth Bale: Wales international interested in MLS move if he leaves Real Madrid
- Published
Gareth Bale has won the Champions League four times at Real Madrid, twice scoring in the final
Gareth Bale has said he would consider a move to Major League Soccer in America if he leaves Real Madrid.
Bale has not been a regular under Zinedine Zidane and the 30-year-old almost left last year, but his move to China's Jiangsu Suning fell through.
The Wales forward's wages - reportedly £600,000 a week - could be the biggest hurdle preventing a move to the MLS.
"I would definitely be interested in it," Bale told the ICC's 'The Hat Trick' podcast.
"I really like the league, it's grown so much over the years.
"When we come over and play them in pre-season, the games are difficult, the standard is getting a lot better. The clubs are improving, the facilities are improving, the stadiums are improving.
"I think it's a league that's on the up and still rising. I think a lot more players want to come over to America now and play. "
Before Wales' Euro 2020 qualifier against Azerbaijan in November 2019, Bale admitted he is "more excited" playing for his country than Real Madrid.
The rift with his club grew a game later after Wales beat Hungary to book their place at the now-postponed Euro 2020.
Bale was seen celebrating qualification with a banner taken from the crowd which read, 'Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order'.
"It was a bit of banter, a bit of fun," said Bale.
"We were all celebrating as a team and I'm not going to not jump around with my team-mates.
"People can see it how they like but we were celebrating on the pitch as a country and having a laugh."
We want to do better than in 2016
Gareth Bale scored in all three of Wales' Euro 2016 group stage games, against Slovakia, England and Russia
At next year's European Championship, Bale says Wales will be aiming to equal, if not better, their performance at Euro 2016.
Chris Coleman's side shocked the football world by reaching the semi-finals, knocking out Belgium in the process, only to be beaten by eventual winners Portugal in Lyon.
Wales and Bale will have to wait an extra year for their next taste of a major competition, with Euro 2020 now taking place in June 2021 as a result of the coronavirus.
"We are looking to do just as well if not better," said Bale.
"I think the extra year will help. We have a young team and the manager, Ryan Giggs, hasn't been in too long. If anything it will help.
"Going into Euro 2016 everyone looked at us and thought we were a small country but we always believed in ourselves, had a game plan and we had the biggest team spirit of any team I've ever been in or known.
"We all got on with each other, there were no individual groups, and on the pitch we defended and attacked as 11.
"We were unlucky not to get to the final but we proved everyone wrong."