The truth and myths behind Gareth Bale's explosive start

The Real Madrid forward has taken to his role as the club's star man, but the reasons why may not be as straightforward as some think

Gareth Bale is the man of the moment at Real Madrid.

Without Cristiano Ronaldo at the club, the Welshman is his official heir as the central figure of the Madrid team. He is on the field naturally due to his qualities and global status. And it is also by choice of the club, who firmly believe now that Bale is not in the shadow of Ronaldo, he will be able to take off to heights not seen since he arrived in the Spanish capital.

However, none of that is being noticed for the first time. What really makes Gareth Bale the man of the moment at Madrid is that he is…