Quotes from Gareth Bale

Now that sports science is more advanced, we know that there are so many off-pitch factors that can affect how good you can become. If people are telling you to sleep a certain number of hours, eat specific foods, and drink a certain volume of fluids, then you have to be prepared to listen and learn.

I don't give much thought to individual awards.

I always believed in my ability, but I think in any sport you need that little bit of luck.

I love playing for Wales.

Every second I'm on the pitch for Wales is an honour, and I love playing.

Every time I pull on a Madrid or Wales top, I run myself into the ground.

As long as I'm playing week in week out, I'm going to become a better player.

I've certainly not got any famous people's numbers on my phone. It's just not my thing, really.

The most important thing is to not waste your money.

As a kid, you obviously dream of being a professional footballer. I would watch players like Ronaldo of Brazil and pretend to be him in the playground. But I don't think about trying to become one of the best in the world or anything like that. I just play football.

When I go on a pitch, I just try to enjoy it as much as I can. The more you enjoy it, the better you play.

I still mess around and joke with my family and friends like I did when I was nine or 10. For me, nothing's changed. Sure, I play football, but I try to keep my life off the pitch as simple as possible.

Whenever we're playing in front of a Welsh crowd, they really do give you that extra bit to get the win.

I don't go out, so I don't get attention from girls. They're not going to have posters of me on their walls. I just try to get on with my life.

I probably prefer Spanish football to the others. It's very technical, the way they play; they keep the ball well, and whenever Spurs have played against Spanish teams in the past, they've always made it difficult for us.

I'd say that La Liga is slightly more technical than the Premier League.

I was never too much into school. I liked lunchtimes and breaks, but nah, I hated sitting at a desk. I was always looking out of the window, looking at my watch, thinking about when I could play football.

When you play in the Premier League, say you're playing against a lower-end team, they set up to defend all the time, they set up to block you off. But when you play in the Champions League, all the other teams are used to winning every week, so it's more of an open game, it's more attacking, end-to-end.

I was quite small; then I had a big growth spurt that led to a problem with my back, which stopped me playing for a while. My bones were growing too quick for my weight.

My friends and family keep me grounded.

You've just got to keep working hard, keep plugging along. That's how great teams win more trophies.

Whenever I get days off, I go home, or friends and family come up. I'm in contact with them every day, so it's like we live next door, but obviously we live in two different countries. Football is my job, and everyone around me has given me the opportunity to purely concentrate on football, and everyone else worries about everything else.

To represent your country is a massive honour.

My dad's the one who's always been there; he's my hero, you could say. Even when he was working, he'd do anything for me. He's been the biggest influence in my life.