Gareth Bale unfazed by Real Madrid fans' criticism – Coleman

Wales manager Chris Coleman insists that star forward Gareth Bale will not be affected by the recent criticism from the Real Madrid faithful.

The 28-year-old was the subject of constant boos from Los Blancos supporters last weekend as his side settled for a 2-2 draw against Valencia.Bale has struggled with injuries over the past year, and this has reduced his overall influence in the Real Madrid squad to the point that he was benched for last season's Champions League final versus Juventus - in his hometown of Cardiff.

The Welshman is currently preparing for his country's key World Cup qualifiers against Austria and Moldova, and Coleman feels that Bale will not be disturbed by the recent reaction at the Bernabeu, he said: "This latest episode won't faze him at all. People wondered how he would handle it when he went to Real Madrid (in 2013) because you are like a film star there, but he absolutely cruised through it. He's answered all the critics. He's matured in the last four or five years and come through it with flying colours."

Spanish forward Marco Asensio notched a brace in a top-class performance against Los Che over the weekend, and Bale could potentially find himself on the bench once Cristiano Ronaldo is back from his five-game suspension.

While the uncertainty over Gareth Bale's future looms, Coleman admits that nobody can doubt the attacker's influence after having won three Champions League titles in his four seasons at the Bernabeu."Yes, he's had one or two injuries but he's won three Champions Leagues. No one else has ever gone to a foreign club from this country and done that. Absolutely nobody can doubt him," he added.

The former Tottenham Hotspur man has been linked with a potential switch to Manchester United during the course of the transfer window, but a deal is unlikely to happen with the Real Madrid having no ready-made replacement in hand for the Euro 2016 semi-finalist.