“Forget about your agent and make up your mind” - Toshack advises Bale

John Toshack

advised

Gareth Bale

, saying:

“forget about your agent and make your own mind up

.”

Bale departed

to join

on a loan spell at the beginning of the season. However, he did not earn himself a regular place. The 31-year-old is not certain about his future, with Zinedine Zidane not planning on having him back in Real Madrid and his agent

Jonathan Barnett

has not been helpful.

"

Often, it is not the player who is being controversial,"

Toshack told

Goal 

when quizzed about his fellow Welshman. 

"You think that they represent footballers' interests, but those of us in the world of football know that they often do more harm than good to their players. 

"When a footballer used to tell me that their agent had said whatever, I always told them: 'I don't want to know what your agent said. I want to know what you think. I want to talk to you. No agents'. 

"When a player reaches a certain age and only has one year of contract left, there are players who start to make noises. I would tell Bale: ignore your agent and make your mind up yourself."

The 71-year-old has made the headlines many times with the comments he made about Bale’s situation at Tottenham. His latest contradiction was when he stated that Bale returning to Madrid at the end of his loan spell was “taken completely out of context” and making a decision was “too early”. The Winger had to clarify stating that

“Going into next season legally my contract says I have to go back to Real Madrid which is what I stated." 

Barnett has also pushed conflict with Jose Mourinho when he blamed the manager for Bale’s lack of game time.

Toshack added to Goal:

"If you have a contract, you fulfil that contract. But I understand that it is a complicated situation. 

"I always tried to talk to my players. I didn't care about what the president, or a director said, no. 

"You have to speak to the player. But that has changed a lot. Now coaches talk very little." 

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