London, April 14 (IANS) Wales football team coach Chris Coleman has said he would prefer his countryman Gareth Bale to stay at Spanish football powerhouses Real Madrid rather than sign for an English Premier League side.
Coleman commented in response to reports on Wednesday that Bale is ready to refuse the renewal of his contract at Real Madrid until 2021, as the Welshman is eyeing a move to Manchester City or Manchester United, reports Efe.
"I'd prefer to see Gareth stay in Spain with Real Madrid, purely for selfish reasons," Coleman told the Mirror on Wednesday.
"When you're in the Premier League we all know how it is... a battle every week. It's flat-out and if you are below 100 per cent, you get found out. It is a physically demanding league. It's a fantastic competition and up there with the best leagues in the world," the Welsh coach acknowledged.
"But, in Spain, it doesn't cause as much fatigue during the second half of the season. The quality is there, but the physical demands on players are different," Coleman explained.
However, Coleman insisted that he will defend Bale wherever he is located, and stressed that "wherever Gareth plays his club football, he will always have the full backing of me and everyone in the Wales set-up."
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