Micah Richards has slammed the critics of Gareth Bale who questioned the hunger of the Welshman on his return to Tottenham.
The attacker has been on the books of Real Madrid since he left Spurs in 2013 and he has won almost every club trophy in football.
Spurs brought him back because they wanted to improve their odds of winning a trophy and having a successful season.
Bale returned to north London with much expectations and fans expected him to kick on immediately.
He has taken time to do that, but not all the fans have been patient enough to see him return to form at the club.
Some suggested that he lacks the hunger to deliver fine performances again and that is irritating to listen to, according to the former Manchester City defender.
He says Bale has had a career that deserves a lot of respect and he feels he isn’t getting that.
Richards wrote in The Daily Mail: “I’ve listened all season to critics of Bale, who have questioned his desire and his effectiveness, and felt saddened. Sometimes I’m not sure he gets the respect he deserves. Four Champions League winners’ medals? What more can he do!
“Maybe people expected on his return to Tottenham at the beginning of the season they were going to see the Bale of old, the flying machine who would trample all over you. That was never realistic.
“He’s matured over the last eight years, he’s advanced his games in terms of positioning. But to hear people question Bale’s hunger was really irritating. Perhaps it stems from the infamous photograph of him celebrating with Wales’s squad with the banner that read: ‘Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order.’ The assumption, I guess, is that Bale isn’t as motivated as he once was. That’s absolute rubbish.”
[…] Micah Richards has slammed the critics of Gareth Bale who questioned the hunger of the Welshman on his return to Tottenham, reports theboyhotspur.com. […]