Giggs: Bale struck me as a professional who still loves football Real Madrid Has backed his star player

Ryan Giggs, the Welsh national team boss, has come to the defence of Gareth Bale, following accusations that the Real Madrid forward had fallen out of love with football after a difficult season at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Wales face back-to-back away games against Croatia and Hungary as part of their qualifying campaign for the 2020 European Championship, and the 45-year-old believes that Bale is in a good place mentally.

"We played a game [on Tuesday] and he looked really good, sharp and really fresh, I'm excited to see him in these two games [against Croatia and Hungary]," Giggs said.

"He was sharp, he wanted the ball, and he was practising his trademark of cutting in on his left foot. He scored a great goal.

"Afterwards when a lot of the lads went in he was practising his shooting, so that doesn't strike me as someone who just wants to get off and go back to his room.

"It struck me as a professional who still loves football."

Bale has often been on the receiving end of criticism in Madrid, particularly given his failure to step up and become the main man post-Cristiano Ronaldo, but Giggs is surprised with the way in which the fans have forgotten about the 29-year-old's Champions League final exploits.

"Yes [I'm surprised by the criticism, but I'm not over there [in Madrid]," Giggs added.

"I'm not a Real Madrid fan. I don't know the ins and outs and I'm only looking from the outside.

"But you've got a player who won the team the Champions League final last year with one of the best goals you've ever seen and performs for that team week in, week out.

"I remember the original Ronaldo [Nazario] getting stick off Real Madrid fans. I remember Cristiano [Ronaldo] getting stick early doors.

"It's that kind of club; it's a club like no other where the white handkerchiefs come out if they don't like you. That's just the way it is."