Bale Warning Gareth may not take La Liga by storm

Gareth Bale will discover that his life has changed forever this week as he makes his Real Madrid debut as the world’s most expensive footballer.

The lucrative contract has been signed and the glamorous unveiling is out of the way. Now Bale has to show why Real were so desperate to have him.

It won’t be easy, though.

Everywhere he goes, there will be interest. TV stations and journalists from all over the world will watch and decipher his every move.

Spain’s daily sports newspapers will have to fill pages and pages about how the Welshman is doing and how he compares to Real’s other “galacticos”.

And the gossip columns and paparazzi will be eager for stories and photos of Bale and girlfriend Emma Rhys-Jones as they adjust to their new life in Madrid.

On the pitch, his first game is this Saturday night. The focus will be on him as he makes his debut Real appearance away to Villarreal in the league.

It will involve some adjustment as, unlike in the UK, where most games are played during the afternoon, this match starts at 10pm!

Then it’s off to Istanbul three days later for a Champions League encounter against Galatasaray.

Real hope Bale can provide the magic as they yearn for their 10th success in Europe’s biggest club competition.

He’ll have to wait until next weekend for his first match in Real’s Bernabeu when 75,000 fans will be keen to see the £85.3 million man in the flesh.

Going to a match there is almost like going to the theatre. Winning is virtually expected, so a superstar like Bale has to entertain.

The Welshman must follow in the footsteps of previous Real Madrid superstars like Zinedine Zidane and Luis Figo and, of course, current star of the team, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Some of the spectacular goals he scored for Tottenham in the last couple of years would be the perfect introduction!

That is probably the easy bit. Settling in off the field is harder, but just as important.

Bale used a couple of phrases in Spanish at his unveiling, which went down well, and he admitted that he’s already learning the language.

That’s crucial if he wants to feel at home in Madrid, as other British players have demonstrated.

Michael Owen never got to grips with it during his year at Real. And it was a major reason why he returned to England so quickly.

David Beckham took 18 months before he was confident enough to speak in Spanish, although he remained reluctant to do it throughout his four years at the Bernabeu.

In contrast, Steve McManaman mastered it within months. He settled in with team-mates and was popular with the local media as a result.

Bale managed to stay out of the limelight in London and nipped back home to Wales on regular occasions.

That won’t be easy living in Madrid, and playing for one of the world’s biggest football clubs.

Vendors will be selling Bale 11 merchandise all over the city. His face will adorn billboards and posters. Spanish youngsters will want to be like him.

It’s a lot to take in for this quiet family man from Cardiff. So, let’s hope his time in Spain is a success.

Good luck Gareth!