Ian Rush would love to see Gareth Bale at Liverpool

Liverpool legend Ian Rush feels Gareth Bale would be an ideal choice for the Reds, should he decide to seek a return to the Premier League. The Wales international is currently in the ranks of Real Madrid, where he has won the Champions League in three of the last four seasons.

Speaking at the 2017 FAW McDonald’s Kit Handover, Rush claimed that Bale is in the right place for the moment and his stay with Los Blancos would benefit the Wales national side, he said: “From a Welsh point of view, I’d like him to stay, to get more European experience. That will benefit Wales. Any English club would want Gareth Bale.”

Bale’s situation at the Bernabeu has come into the question since the summer, and although Tottenham Hotspur have the first-refusal clause, Rush would prefer to see the attacker at Anfield, he added: “Maybe Tottenham have first offer [to bring Bale back to the Premier League]. Man United has been talked about, maybe because the goalkeeper [David De Gea] could go the other way? I would love to see him at Liverpool though. We don’t know what will happen, but it would be great to see him back here [in the Premier League] and at Liverpool.”

The 28-year-old is currently recuperating from a calf problem, which he sustained at the end of September, and this has hampered the form of both his club and country. While Real Madrid have lost their way in the Spanish La Liga this term, Bale’s biggest disappointment came with the national side, who were ousted from the World Cup finals in his absence.

The Welshman is expected to join his teammates for the local derby versus Atletico Madrid following the international break, and anything less than a win could diminish their prospects of defending their league title. Los Blancos are already eight points adrift of table-toppers, and they can’t risk dropping any further with Barcelona looking unbeatable at present.