Tottenham Hotspur forward Gareth Bale has stated that he plans to return to Real Madrid when his loan period ends at the end of the season.
The Welshman had fallen out of favor with the Bernabéu with Zinedine Zidane and returned to North London last year on a one-season lease.
Bale has only one year left on his contract with Real Madrid as of the summer, and had considered extending his loan for another season.
However, despite a recent resurgence, the 31-year-old is struggling to stay in shape with José Mourinho, and his future will certainly be in question as the summer transfer window approaches.
“There is no distraction for me,” said Bale at a press conference ahead of Wales’ first qualifier for the 2022 World Cup in Belgium.
“I think the main reason I came to Spurs this year was primarily to play football.
“When I went to the Eurocup, I wanted to be fit. The original plan was to spend a season with Spurs and after the European Championship there is another year with Real Madrid.
“My plan is to go back, that’s what I’ve planned.”
Bale has scored 10 times in 25 games for Spurs this season, but half of those goals came in cup competitions, although he has found the net four times in his last four league matches.
In addition to Thursday’s meeting with Belgium, which brings back memories of Wales’s famous victory at Euro 2016, Bale could be involved in matches against Mexico and the Czech Republic for the next 15 days as preparations for Euro 2016 intensify this summer.
“In recent years, this is probably the best physical condition I’ve ever been in,” he added.
“I feel fresh and ready to go. I always think that when things aren’t going very well in a club, it’s okay to get out, especially mentally, to get out of the club environment.
“It can certainly be an advantage. We focus on these matches in Wales, which are very important to us.
“We forget about the life of the club and concentrate on it.”