Gareth Bale: 'If you feel you're going to play, I would encourage a British player to go abroad'

Although most players won't receive the world-record £85m transfer fee that he received upon transferring from Tottenham to Real Madrid, Gareth Bale is encouraging British players - and Raheem Sterling in particular - to explore Europe's other leagues.

In an exclusive interview with the Independent, Bale was compared to Manchester United's Ryan Giggs, who remained at Old Trafford for his entire career. And when speaking about how his situation compared to that of the fellow Welshman, the Real Madrid superstar spoke with complete candidness.

"I think the most important thing is you feel it's the right move. If you feel you're going to play, then I would encourage a British player to go abroad. I've enjoyed every minute of it, the new culture, the new life. I felt like I wanted to challenge myself. It's down to the player himself whether he can kick on."

"If you look at Raheem Sterling, I think he's shown what a good player he is. He's starting to perform more consistently. If he keeps working hard and doing what he's doing then he's going to keep progressing and the sky is the limit."

Bale enjoyed an excellent first campaign at the Santiago Bernabéu last season, notching 22 goals in 44 appearances.