Bale was the only member of the Los Blancos squad not to pay tribute to Zidane

Bale was the only member of the Los Blancos squad not to pay tribute to Zidane

Gareth Bale was the only member of Real Madrid's squad not to send Zinedine Zidane a farewell message after he stepped down as manager.

Madrid captain Sergio Ramos led the tributes to Zidane yesterday - who announced he is leaving his position just five days after their historical third consecutive Champions League triumph.

The rest of the squad followed this by posting emotional messages on their social media accounts, but Bale is the only player who never post a tribute message to the Legend.

The Welsh forward made it no secret he was unhappy with his role at Madrid under Zidane and was set to meet with his representatives and the club this month to clarify his position amid interest from Manchester United.

However, Bale's personal situation could now improve under a new coach with Zidane no longer in the picture.

The 45-year-old's reasoning for quitting yesterday was that he was tired and needed a break, but Sportsmail understands he had fallen out with the club's president Florentino Perez after their opinions differed on the club's direction.

Bale's future was a section of the discussion which Zidane and Perez disagreed on. The Madrid hierarchy wanted him to start as many games as their other big stars next season but Zidane wanted to call the decisions as he saw fit.

The forward had a fractured relationship with Zidane - epitomized by his decision not to publicly pay tribute to him - and had grown weary of his inferior role at the club.

He was set to explore his options this summer, but now Madrid are considering offering Bale a contract extension in a bid to thwart interest from United.