Paul Kennedy

It doesn’t matter what you do for a living or how much money you earn, if you’re not happy where you work, it’s time for a change.

Gareth Bale clearly isn’t happy right now.

He may be playing football for the champions of Europe and earning in an hour what most of us make in a month, but even a blind man can see things aren’t going well for the Welshman.

As of this season, the boy from Cardiff will have spent more time playing for Real Madrid than any other team.

His four Champions League medals make him the most successful British footballing export there has ever been.

He’s also not short of a bob or two, with only golfer Rory McIlroy and tennis player Andy Murray ahead of him in the rich list of British sports stars.

Other than a dodgy haircut, there really should be nothing to make Bale sad right about now, but there is.

After some pretty poor results of late by the Galacticos, including back to back cup and league loses to Barcelona, the fans at Madrid are taking out their anger on Bale.

So too it seems are his team mates, although to be fair, there’s nothing matey about the relationship he has with his colleagues.

Word is, they call him The Martian, because he is so distant and aloof or The Golfer, because that’s all he does in his spare time. He’s even built a course in his back garden.

He’ll be 30 this year and has a meaty contract keeping him at the Bernabeu until 2021 that includes a ridiculous buyout clause of one billion euros.

He should be buzzing, happier than a pig in mud, but his body language suggests nothing could be further from the truth.

So what next?

Last month, he scored his 100th goal for Real but celebrated in such away that he is facing a ban because of provocative suggestions towards rival fans.

It could I suppose have even been aimed at his own supporters who have taken to booing Bale and blaming him when things go wrong.

Just like this week when last season’s Champions League winners were dumped out of the competition by Ajax.

Maybe the time has come for Bale to bail.

There’s no shortage of clubs in England who would snap up the winger. Granted he’ll have to take a massive pay cut but that won’t be something he’ll notice and Real Madrid will have to rip up the contract that insists on a billion euros to sign him.

Manchester United have been linked with the star and so too have his former club, Tottenham Hotspur.

Strange club Spurs.

Good players, financially secure, great manager and at some point very soon (apparently) will be moving into their new state-of-the-art stadium.

But despite all of the above, Tottenham season after season fail to deliver.

They are a really good team with some really good players but still there’s something missing.

If the owners of the club are happy with a top four finish each season and nothing more, then that’s fine.

But if they are ambitious and want to step up to the next level, they need to make a major statement in the transfer market this summer. They need something different.

Maybe that something could be Gareth Bale.

Their back four is solid, they have a good midfield and great attackers. Add Bale into the mix and Spurs really could challenge for trophies next season.

I know the old saying, once you leave your girlfriend, you should never really go back, but for me signing Bale, even if it’s just on loan, would be a great bit of business for Tottenham. — VNS