Gareth Bale Comments on Real Madrid Contract, Future Plans, Ballon d'Or and More

Real Madrid star Gareth Bale has said he's delighted to have signed a new long-term contract with Los Blancos, and he's open to spending the rest of his career in the Spanish capital. He also commented on persistent rumours linking him with Manchester United, stating he's unaware of any interest from the Red Devils.

As MailOnline's Pete Jenson reported, Bale signed a new contract that will keep him in Madrid until the 2022 season, making him one of the highest paid footballers in the world, with weekly wages of £346,000.

Speaking at a press conference, the Wales international revealed the new contract is a "dream come true," according to Stefan Coerts of Goal.com:

"

When I first came here, I wanted to succeed and win trophies. To renew my contract is another dream come true. I hope to win more trophies and titles. ...

My time here has changed me quite a lot. I've grown up here as a person. I wanted to try something different when I joined Madrid and that's never easy.

British players have not always been successful abroad, but I wanted to try it. I had one difficult season, but it helped me a lot. It has been three great years and I hope for six more years of the same.

"

When asked if he would consider playing out the rest of his career with Los Blancos, he said: "Yes, for sure. The reason I signed is that I'm very happy here. I feel very comfortable, my Spanish is improving, my family is more settled and I fully intend to see out my contract here."

The 27-year-old moved to Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur in 2013 and quickly established himself as one of the team's most pivotal attacking players. He played a key role in the club's UEFA Champions League run in his first season and also scored a vital goal in the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona.

Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

He regressed at the start of the 2014-15 campaign but turned things around toward the end of the season. The following season was another strong one, culminating in another Champions League title and a great showing at UEFA Euro 2016.

A new contract seemed almost inevitable, and according to MailOnline Sport, he's been handsomely rewarded for his efforts:

Team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo is the favourite to win this year's Ballon d'Or award, thanks to Portugal's triumph at Euro 2016. But Bale stated the individual award is not a real goal for him.

"The Ballon d'Or has never been a personal goal for me," Bale said, per Coerts. "I never dreamed about winning the Ballon d'Or. I dreamed about winning Champions League and league titles."

Bale became the third Real star to receive a new contract in quick succession, with Luka Modric and Toni Kroos also signing new deals. The club made it clear they see the Welshman as a key player for the future during Monday's presentation.

The new deal is also a significant setback for United, who continue to be linked with the former Spurs star. According to the Press Association (h/t the Guardian), the Red Devils wanted to sign Bale before he left White Hart Lane for Spain, and speculation hasn't stopped since.

Bale hasn't been paying attention to any of the transfer talk, however:

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I couldn't tell you if anyone's been interested. Since I've been here I've been fully concentrated on playing for Real Madrid.

I'm very happy here which shows why I've signed another six-year deal and we never really speak about these things. If [United] have [shown an interest] they have, I don't know about it. The main thing for me is to concentrate on my football and everything else is dealt with behind the scenes.

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While Real have yet to announce the details of Bale's new buyout clause, it is believed to be set at roughly £900 million, per Ed Aarons of the Guardian. That is a monstrous amount of money no club could realistically afford to spend on a single player.

Bale has always maintained he's perfectly happy with Real and intent on continuing his career with Los Blancos, and this new commitment from both parties should end any remaining speculation.