Michael Owen blames Cristiano Ronaldo for Gareth Bale misfortune at Real Madrid

Bale's career at the Bernabeu appears to be over and Owen suggests too much was expected of the Welshman at Madrid.

Speaking to 90min, former Real Madrid striker Michael Owen said: "It's staggering what moments Gareth Bale has had, yet he's not a darling of the fans.

"Whether Cristiano Ronaldo had something to do with that - he was just so clearly the best player and maybe people expected Bale to come in and almost replicate that.

"It's a shame really. It's great to see British players going abroad and doing well, but he can hold his head up high when he comes back. What an unbelievable set of medals he's got."

Bale was left out of Madrid's Champions League squad to face Manchester City earlier this month, with Zinedine Zidane claiming that the Welshman is not interested in playing for the Blancos.