Former England and Real Madrid midfielder David Beckham on Sunday said he is quite impressed with how Welshman Gareth Bale has withstood pressure during his stint with the record European football champions.
Bale joined Real from English Premier League (EPL) club Tottenham Hotspur in 2013 for a record fee of 100 million euros and was brilliant in his first season, scoring once each in Copa del Rey and European Champions League final triumphs.
Last season, however, the winger did look out of sorts and was heavily put under the scanner by critics but Beckham on the other hand is impressed with how he has dealt with pressure.
"I got to know Gareth when I trained at Tottenham a few years ago -- and he's a fantastic guy with so much talent. I wasn't surprised when Real Madrid signed him for the amount they did. But, obviously, with that comes a lot of pressure," Beckham was quoted as saying by goal.com.
"And when you are at Real Madrid, whether you sign for 1 million pounds or 100 million pounds, there is always pressure on you to perform. In his first season, Gareth won the Champions League and scored in the final -- that was unbelievable for him."
"But for me it is now that Gareth is showing why he is such a great character."
The 26-year-old, who recently returned to the ground after suffering from a calf injury has scored twice in five outings for Madrid this year.