Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo is substituted for Graeth Bale (L) during their Champion's League semi-final first leg soccer match against Bayern Munich at Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, April 23, 2014.
Reuters

Gareth Bale has revealed the chance of playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo was one of his key reasons behind his decision to join Real Madrid last summer.

The Wales international forced his £91m move from White Hart Lane to Madrid in the final days of the summer transfer window after Tottenham failed to secure a spot in the Champions League.

As Spurs struggled to contend with the Premier League's elite, Bale wanted to make a step forward in his career and play alongside some of the best players in the world at the Santiago Bernabeu.

And ahead of Real Madrid's Champions League semi-final second leg clash against Bayern Munich, the former Tottenham star has admitted his admiration for his teammate Ronaldo was crucial in his decision.

"It's been great training with him. It's a massive reason why I came here: to play with the best players in the world," Bale was quoted as saying by AS.

Some reports last summer suggested that Ronaldo could be jealous of Bale after the Welshman become the most expensive player in history but eventually the pair have forged a an excellent partnership in the Spanish capital.

A number of injuries during pre-season complicated the Welshman's adaptation to La Liga but after he scored a stunning goal in the recent Copa del Rey final against Barcelona Bale has captured Real hearts.

After missing the first leg of the Champions League semi-final due to a minor injury, he is set to return to action in Germany.

And asked about the game he said: "We have a lot of confidence – there's no reason for us to believe we can't win," he added.

"I feel good, I've had a few days' training to recover. I'm hoping to play. We've still got a very hard game against Bayern to come. The score's 1-0 and I don't really think that makes too much difference. We know it's going to be a difficult game. Everyone in the team will give 100% to qualify. Our expectation was to win the Copa del Rey and we did it. We want to win the Champions League too."

Cristiano Ronaldo