Ian Wright has told the Wrighty Show that he hates that abuse that he has heard being directed towards Tottenham Hotspur’s Gareth Bale recently.
Bale has come in from stinging criticism on social media and in the press, with his move back to Tottenham not going according to plan to date.
The Welshman was handed a rare start for Spurs in their last game against Brighton & Hove Albion, but Bale barely made any sort of impact.
The 31-year-old looked way off the pace as Tottenham fell to a 1-0 defeat.
And Wright admits that he has hated to see the reaction to Bale’s latest performance.
“Watching Bale play, it’s sad. To watch a player of that calibre play like that and go out like that,” Wright said.
“He doesn’t seem to have the energy. He looks like he needs the fans.
“When he came back I was ecstatic for him. You think to yourself the way that he was treated by the Madrid fans, all that he wanted was love, surely.
“It’s reading what people say about him, I can’t help but take it personally because he was at Southampton when Bradley was there and you kind of get that love for him.
“When you see what people say about him I just don’t like reading it.”
Bale’s next chance to turn things around at Tottenham could be some way off now.
Jose Mourinho has already been reluctant to pick Bale, and it is difficult to see him starting again after such an insipid display.
Tottenham are next in action against Chelsea tomorrow, but Bale looks likely to be put back on the bench again.
Wrighty’s House is the latest podcast from The Ringer with host Ian Wright with new episodes every Wednesday. The podcast will be available exclusively on Spotify. You can listen here.
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