Real Madrid attacker Gareth Bale insists he has no problem with his 'golfer' nickname.
Bale was given it by teammate Thibaut Courtois last season.
"I am a golfer. Have you not seen the pictures?" Bale said jokingly when asked about Courtois' nickname for him.
"I spoke to him [Courtois] about it and he said it was a joke. People took it out of context, but I'm very happy with the nickname to be honest.
"Obviously football is my biggest passion. Golf is a hobby like anyone else would have a hobby. There's nothing wrong with having a round [of golf] and people make a big deal out of it."
There were many negative things said about Bale this summer in relation to his future, too, but the 30-year-old does not read or listen to it.
"I don't listen to them [the critics] because they don't really know what they are on about," Bale explained.
"I don't read anything, I don't listen to anyone.
"I know most people don't know the situation, don't understand the situation. What they write means nothing."
Despite a summer in which a lot of uncertainty surrounded him, Bale remained calm.
"I had a great summer holiday," he added.
"Coming back to pre-season I just kept my head down. I know there was a lot of talk with everybody saying good, bad, whatever they wanted. I just kept my head down, kept working hard in training.
"The things that happened will stay private with the club. If you want answers, maybe you need to ask Real Madrid."
