Bale 'understood' tough Tottenham stance

The 24-year-old admits that the summer was stressful as he waited for his move to Real Madrid but was always confident of securing a switch to the Spanish giants
Gareth Bale admits that he was stressed prior to joining Real Madrid but insists that he understood the tough negotiating stance adopted by Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy.
The 24-year-old, a BT Sport Ambassador, completed his world-record €100 million switch to the Spanish club on Sunday evening and signed a six-year contract with Carlo Ancelotti's side before being unveiled at the Santiago Bernabeu on Monday.

Negotiations which lasted throughout the summer saw Levy attempt to hold out for a figure of €115m, while a late delay in the deal was caused by Tottenham wanting to complete a move for Erik Lamela before allowing Bale to leave.

"It's obviously been a whirlwind few days. It was great to be unveiled, it's a day I'll never forget," Bale told BT Sport.

"It was a long time, it was very stressful to say the least. I knew their interest from the start and I was always confident the move would go through. The chairman, Daniel Levy, had to do his business and do Tottenham well - and I kind of understood that - but, at the same time, it was a hard time.

"I had to be patient and try and focus. I believed the president and Jose [Angel Sanchez] would get the deal through and finally it did and it was great to be unveiled."