Julen Lopetegui heaps praise on Gareth Bale

Real Madrid manager Julen Lopetegui has tipped Gareth Bale to enjoy a "great season" and talked up the professionalism of the Welsh winger.

Bale's future seemed uncertain during the summer following a 2017-18 campaign in which he fell down the pecking order under Zinedine Zidane, but he is expected to be given a more important role in the team under new boss Lopetegui.

Madrid sold club-record goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus this summer and have not yet signed a replacement for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, but Lopetegui suggested that Bale could be the man to help make up for the loss.

"Bale is a player we love, he has been here a long time and has been training hard," Lopetegui told reporters at his pre-UEFA Super Cup press conference.

"He is motivated and is an important player who forms part of the team, and being a team is what is important. We need great players like him, and I'm more than happy with his work and attitude.

"We have a player who is a super professional player in all aspects, who is training with the motivation of a youth player and who is helping us enormously. Yet I wouldn't want to rely on one or two players. It is the team which is the main thing, and we will help Bale have a great season."

Real will begin their campaign against city rivals Atletico Madrid this evening when they face off in the UEFA Super Cup in Tallinn.