Gareth Bale's new deal is ridiculous, says Wales boss Chris Coleman

ByReuters

Updated 03/11/2016 at 14:27 GMT

Wales manager Chris Coleman says Gareth Bale’s new multi-million pound contract at Real Madrid is "ridiculous" but believes that is the going rate for the world's best players.

Chris Coleman (right) and Gareth Bale (left) on the bus parade

Image credit: Reuters

The 27-year-old has reportedly signed a deal that is worth £360,000 a week after tax, that will keep him in Spain until 2022.

And although his national team manager believes the money his star asset is being paid is "crazy”, he insists that is not what motivates the forward.

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"He's not driven by that financial thing of earning so many millions," Coleman said.

"What he wants to do is win the Champions League again, win La Liga, do well again with Wales, go on and get 50 goals for Wales or 100 caps.

"The people like him who get to that level, that's not really what motivates him. What motivates him is sticking the ball in the net, doing something amazing, achieving something with Wales no-one's ever achieved."

Coleman added that the bumper new contract is what it takes to secure the services of the outstanding players in the world. “He’s probably earning more in a week than I earn in a year but it was probably like that at Tottenham," said Coleman.

"It's a ridiculous amount of money. We can't seriously sit here and say it's normal to play a game of football and earn that type of money.