GARETH BALE HAS the mental strength to deal with being booed by disgruntled Real Madrid fans, according to Wales boss Chris Coleman.
The winger joined the Blancos from Tottenham last year for a world-record fee of €100 million and enjoyed a fine finish to his first season in Spain, scoring a sensational winner in the capital club’s Copa del Rey triumph over Barcelona before then bagging the vital second goal in last May’s 4-1 win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League final.
However, despite netting 14 times in 31 appearances so far this term, Bale has been targeted by the Santiago Bernabeu faithful in recent weeks for his allegedly selfish play and inconsistent form.
Coleman, though, is in no doubt that the 25-year-old can deal with being whistled and jeered by his own club’s supporters.
“He can handle that no problem at all,” the Wales coach is quoted as saying by BBC Sport. “I’m not worried about him.
“If you go to Madrid for that amount of money and you know that the spotlight is on you then you can either handle it or you can’t handle it.
“In his first season they won the Champions League, which was their holy grail – and he was a huge part of that campaign.
“It’s his turn now to get some criticism. It won’t bother him. He’ll be fine. He’ll get through it.”
