Gareth Bale: I deserved FIFA’s Puskas Award, not Mohamed Salah

Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale believes he deserved to win the FIFA Puskas goal of the year of 2018 and not Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah.

Bale believes his overhead kick in the 2018 Champions League final should have secured the award, rather than the Egyptian’s strike against Everton in the December 2017 Merseyside derby.

“Yeah, I was surprised by that, to be honest, but what can you say,” Bale told FourFourTwo, as cited by ESPN, after winning the magazine’s goal of the year award.

“It makes the award look a little diminished, although it was obviously a great goal by Salah.

“Mine was instinctive, I got my body positioned correctly, got my footwork right, and caught it perfectly.

“When you catch the ball perfectly, you know it's on target. You just have to hope the keeper doesn't make an unbelievable save.

“So, as soon as I hit it, I knew it had a chance of going in. If you watch it, you see my head turn straight away. I knew where the ball was going.

“My best goal ever? I think you'd have to say that, there haven't been too many like that!

“I did love the one in the [2014] Copa del Rey final against Barcelona, but as this one was on such a big stage – the Champions League final, the biggest game in club football – and technically it was the winner, I'd have to say that it's the best.”

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