Real Madrid finally achieved the ‘La Decima’ after more than a decade of wait. The club lifted the Champions League title last season by beating Atletico Madrid 4-1 in the final. They also won the Copa del Rey by beating Barcelona. Even though they missed out on the league title, it was seen as an extraordinary season for the club. Gareth Bale was a major reason behind both these victories after he played a crucial role in these two matches. The winger scored in both these matches and it was a remarkable turnaround for the Welshman.

After making the £ 80 million move to the Santiago Bernabeu last summer, Bale struggled in the initial few months at Madrid. He was constantly in and out of the team, which sparked fears that he would be branded as a flop even before he could show his full potential. This was not the case after he recovered from fitness. The 24-year-old stated that missing the pre-season almost entirely was the reason for his struggles at the start of the season. This season, a settled Bale has been training properly with the Madrid team. Manager Carlo Ancelotti says that fans can expect more from the Welshman in the coming season, as he has been rested properly.

"Yes he [Bale] had a really good holiday, 40 days. He's fresh. He's working well. He's doing what he wasn't able to do last year. So, he's training well. He's preparing well for next season. Everyone is sure it will be better for him this year," said Ancelotti. The manager also spoke about the much anticipated arrival of James Rodriguez to training. The Colombian recently moved to Madrid in a deal worth around £ 70 million. "James is going to start with the group from August 1," said Ancelotti.