Gareth Bale hasn’t had it easy at Real Madrid but he returns to England in rich form, writes Adam Bate... In the week following Riyad Mahrezs PFA Player of the Year award, the 2013 winner returns to these shores to face Premier League opposition for the first time since his departure from Tottenham.Gareth Bale will be in the Real Madrid team for their Champions League semi-final against Manchester City - and he is in fine form too. No issue with Ronaldo Gareth Bale insists there are no problems between him and Cristiano Ronaldo. Such are the extraordinary demands at Madrid that, despite scoring the winner in a Champions League final, his three seasons with the club have not been without their difficulties. And yet, Bale has directly contributed to 28 La Liga goals this season - 18 goals and 10 assists. Thats the same total as Mahrez in the Premier League and hes managed it in a fraction of the game time.Indeed, Bales goals alone have come at a rate of one every 87 minutes this season. Thats better than both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Rivals for his role in the side such as James Rodriguez and Isco have proven nowhere near as effective despite having received some very public backing. Best strike rates in La Liga Player Team Goals Mins per goal Karim Benzema Real Madrid 23 80 Luis Suarez Barcelona 34 85 Gareth Bale Real Madrid 18 87 Imanol Agirretxe Real Sociedad 13 90 Lionel Messi Barcelona 25 98 Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid 31 99 Bale had begun the season under fire, a legacy of last seasons struggles. He was jeered by Real fans in a friendly against Galatasaray and a Marca poll put him out of the starting line-up on the eve of the campaign. A similar vote in AS saw him scraping into the team but only ahead of Karim Benzema and with a fraction of the votes of James and Isco.Rafa Benitez, then manager at the time, was unconvinced by those arguments. If you analyse Bales movements, youll see they give the team respite, he told AS. Isco and James develop play between the lines, but not Gareth. He creates spaces and looks to makes runs behind the defence. As a result, Benitez looked to increase Bales involvement. Bale scored twice as Real Madrid came from behind to beat Rayo Vallecano The two discussed his role in the side at the start of the season and Bale was allowed to go in search of the ball in central positions. While 61 per cent of his touches in last seasons Champions League were restricted to the right flank, its been only 30 per cent this season. Hes enjoyed it. No wonder he was reportedly unimpressed when Benitez was sacked.Fortunately, Bale has found another admirer in Zinedine Zidane. As long ago as 2013, the new Real boss had confirmed as much to Sky Sports. Hes unique, said Zidane. He makes things look easy, his pace is frightening and his acceleration is unbelievable because of his ability to go through the gears in very little space. Zidane hails Bale Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane praised Gareth Bales performance against Rayo Vallecano. So while the whispers were that Benitezs exit could precipitate changes to the forward line and a chance for James to reignite his Real career, instead it is Bale who immediately produced his best form. A hat-trick against Deportivo La Coruna in Zidanes first game in charge was particularly timely. Bale has been impressed with the impact Zinedine Zidane has made since taking over in January In my opinion, his performance against Deportivo was his best display in a Real shirt, Guillem Balague told Sky Sports. Soon, Zidane was talking of Bale being a key player for the squad and someone he was determined to give all the care and support he needs. They are words that Ronaldo and the rest can hardly have failed to pick up on. Bale feels the confidence of Zidane but more than that he actually feels that Ronaldo sees him as a star, not just a friend of the president. Guillem Balague Its the fact he can now move freely and more importantly its accepted by both Ronaldo and Benzema, added Balague. Bale feels the confidence of Zidane but more than that he actually feels that Ronaldo sees him as a star, not just a friend of the president. Thats the biggest thing thats happened to Gareth Bale.And so, he arrives in form, impressing with two goals against Rayo Vallecano in a comeback win at the weekend. His first goal was a header - an eighth in La Liga this season, more than anyone else in Europes major leagues and the sort he has spoken of working on every day at Valdebebas. The second was a brilliant solo effort. Zidane rated the display as phenomenal. Head boy Gareth Bale has found the net with eight headers this season - more than any other player in Europes major leagues. As a result, the mood has changed - as it can among supporters who booed Zidane, Ronaldo and even Alfredo Di Stefano in the past. Bale is in shape and in form, a player who has grown on and off the field as a result of his experiences in Spain. He left as the best player in Britain. He returns better than ever. Also See: Man City v Real Madrid preview Zidane hails phenomenal Bale Fake NCAA Jerseys . -- Derek Jeter says the New York Yankees have no choice but to move forward now that Alex Rodriguez has accepted his suspension for the 2014 season. Fake Football Jerseys . LOUIS -- Julius Randle had 19 points and 15 rebounds, Aaron Harrison finished with 18 points and No. http://www.fakejersey.com/fake-mlb-jerseys/. Sources tell TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger that the team is quietly gauging interest on the Senators captain, though Spezza has a limited no-trade clause and carries a large contract. Fake Jerseys Online . -- Mike Shanahan gave Robert Griffin III a rest, and may have turned up the pressure on himself, too. Cheap Fake Jerseys . Masahiro Tanaka has touched down in the United States and the courting of the Rakuten Golden Eagles stud pitcher has begun in earnest by a bevy of MLB teams interested in the Japanese ace.MINNEAPOLIS - Percy Harvin was hurting on the sideline, unable to help the New York Jets.Jarius Wright ended the game with the kind of electrifying play Harvin used to make in Minnesota.Wrights 87-yard reception from Teddy Bridgewater, the second-longest overtime passing touchdown in NFL history, gave the Vikings a 30-24 victory over Harvin and the Jets on Sunday.We ran it a couple other times, Wright said. I thought in my head there was a chance to score.Bridgewater saw the Jets ready to bring heavy pressure on third-and-5, so he used a check to call for the bubble screen pass. Jets coach Rex Ryan, who moved one loss closer to a possible firing after the season, second-guessed himself for the blitz.He hadnt hit anything against it all day. Probably showed our hand a little too early there, Ryan said, adding: But I came here to win the game, not just play it close. Obviously, so thats clearly on my shoulders.Bridgewater threw a bit high, but Wright jumped for the off-balance grab, slipped by Jaiquawn Jarrett and outran defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson the rest of the way with a block by John Sullivan to help spring the sprint.I just missed the tackle. Theres no excuse for that. Ive got to get him on the ground, Jarrett said.Booed every time his name was announced, Harvin hobbled off the field after taking a hard hit from Josh Robinson as he neared the sideline late in the fourth quarter. Harvin had a 35-yard touchdown reception and a 47-yard kickoff return. He finished with 124 yards on six catches in his first game in Minnesota in more than two years after playing his first 3 1/2 seasons with the Vikings (6-7), who beat the Jets for the first time in eight matchups since Oct. 12, 1975.I wanted to be in that battle with my guys to finish this thing out. But I couldnt go, said Harvin, who left on crutches.Cordarrelle Patterson, the player the Vikings drafted last year to take Harvins place, was again a nonfactor with the offence and lost a fumble on a kickoff that led to one of five field goals by Nick Folk, who tied the game at 24 with 23 seconds left in regulation.Gerald Hodges returned an interception thrown by Geno Smith for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage, but the much-maligned second-year quarteerback bounced back for the Jets (2-11) by going 18 for 29 for 254 yards and tallying 33 yards rushing on six attempts.dddddddddddd Smith was just 7 of 13 for 49 yards against Miami in the last game.The Jets totalled 410 yards of offence, their second-highest output this season.We didnt cover anybody today. We let them off on third downs. We didnt protect the quarterback nearly as well as Id thought, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said, listing his disappointments. We were sloppy with the ball. I dont know. How much time you got?Richardson had a safety among his three sacks, but Bridgewater wasnt rattled by that big hit he took in his own end zone in the first quarter. He finished 19 of 27 for 309 yards and two touchdowns. Charles Johnson caught the first one for 56 yards and totalled 103 yards on four receptions.Johnson almost scored again in the second quarter, when Bridgewater connected as he was hit for a 22-yard gain to the goal line. Johnson fumbled as he tried to reach across, but Jerome Felton dived between two Jets to recover it in the end zone for his first career score and a 21-12 lead for the Vikings.Go out there and let it rip and dont worry about overthinking things and trying to be perfect, has become Bridgewaters mantra, at the urging of quarterbacks coach Scott Turner. Said Bridgewater: Because when you try to be perfect, thats when you make mistakes.NOTES: According to STATS research, the only series with a longer stretch of one team beating the other was between the Jets and Philadelphia from Dec. 9, 1973. The Eagles have never lost to the Jets in nine matchups. Denvers 10 straight wins over Cleveland is the longest active streak in the league by number of games. ... Vikings DT Sharrif Floyd aggravated his knee injury and didnt play in the second half. SS Robert Blanton hurt his left leg and was scheduled for an MRI test. LG Charlie Johnson also left the game, with a sprained right ankle. ... Eric Decker had six catches for 89 yards for the Jets in his return to his alma mater. ... Harvins last scoring reception was for the Vikings on Oct. 25, 2012, against Tampa Bay, also the last time he played in Minnesota.___AP NFL websites: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL ' ' '