GARETH Bale has defended his love of golf and rejects the criticism hurled at him by the Spanish press.

The Welshman angered the Spanish press once again by pulling a golf swing pose in Real Madrid’s team photo.

El Confidential said the pose ‘mocked journalists’ who ‘associate his golf practice with injuries and disinterest in playing football’.

This isn’t the first time the 30-year-old has received backlash by the Spanish media regarding golf, as in November he was slammed for posing with a banner that read ‘Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order’, following a Euro 2020 qualifier.

At that time MARCA said that Bale’s actions showed ‘a lack of respect for the club and fans.’

The four time Champions League winner has defended his love of golf however during an interview with PGA Tour host, Erik Anders Lang.

He said: “A lot of people have problems with me playing golf, I don’t know what the reason is.

“I’ve spoken to doctors and everybody’s fine with it,” he added.

“The media have this perception that it’s not good for me. 

“In America, I know Steph Curry plays maybe on the morning of a game. 

“Here, if I play two days before a game it’s like, ‘what’s he doing?’”

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