Gareth Bale
Real Madrid star Gareth Bale scored a brace against Levante Getty

Wales manager Chris Coleman believes former Tottenham star Gareth Bale will manage to overcome his struggles at Real Madrid to become a success at the Santiago Bernabeu, rather than returning to the Premier League amid Manchester United speculation.

The 25-year-old forward has been under scrutiny at the La Liga giants since his £89m ($131m) arrival from White Hart Lane.

Even though his goals in the Copa del Rey and the Champions League finals last season appeared to silent the critics, the scrutiny has increased in recent months.

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Some Real Madrid fans have whistled in frustration at the former Spurs hero in a number of games this season, accusing him of being selfish, while also questioning whether manager Carlo Ancelotti should continue with his 4-3-3 formation due to the lack of commitment when it comes to Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema defending.

But Coleman, who knows Bale well, along with La Liga from his time as a manager at Real Sociedad, has backed the Wales international to prove the doubters wrong and become a sensation in Spain.

"I know how it works in Spain," Coleman said to Sky Sports. "When you play for Real Madrid, you have to entertain every time you go on to the pitch - win and entertain. So the stakes are high. Winning, and not playing well, is not acceptable. They lost to Schalke but went through, and they were booed off."

"As much as they're saying he's not been caught up in that, he has definitely been caught in the middle unfortunately for him."

Even though recent reports claimed Bale is considering a return to the Premier League to join Manchester United, Coleman believes he will have a great long-term future in La Liga. He said: "Gareth's a big boy - he's come through. He got a couple of goals at the weekend. He'll be fine."

Furthermore the Wales manager believes Ancelotti, who has insisted Bale is unmovable in his line-up, is dealing with the situation in the best possible way. Coleman said: "The manager he's playing for is perfect for that situation. Carlo's mentality is perfect. He's calm, cool and full of confidence."