Gareth Bale has declared he would love to play in MLS - and revealed Luka Modric is a lousy golfer.

The Real Madrid winger has two years left to run on his Santiago Bernabeu contract and the 30-year-old has indicated he will see out that deal.

Bale ranks among the world's best-paid players and his present salary, reported to be worth upwards of £15million annually, would be out of the reach of MLS teams.

But there may come a time when Bale can be persuaded to leave Europe for the United States, and the golf courses he loves across the Atlantic could be a selling point.

Speaking on the Hat-Trick podcast, Bale said of MLS: "I really like the league. It's grown so much over the years.

"When we come over and play them now in pre-season, the games are difficult. The standard's getting a lot better, the clubs are improving, the facilities are improving, the stadiums are improving.

"It's a league that's on the up and still rising. A lot more players want to come over to America now and play and I'd definitely be interested in it.

"I love going to Los Angeles on holiday."

Asked by the US-based podcast what he enjoyed doing in Los Angeles, Bale said: "I play a lot of golf.

"I've played Pebble [Beach] a couple of times. I played Cypress Point which is a private members' club which is next to Pebble Beach - that was probably the best course I've ever played so far."

Bale faced heavy criticism in Spain after celebrating Wales' European Championship qualification with a flag bearing the now-famous slogan of 'Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order.'

He insists it was "a bit of banter... a bit of fun", but Bale's love for golf is not something he hides from.

And when Madrid team-mate Modric proved hapless with a golf club, Bale had to laugh at the 2018 Ballon d'Or winner.

Asked to identify his worst golfing team-mate, Bale said: "Luka Modric, 100 per cent.

"We were staying in a hotel and there was nothing to do, and they had a golf course and a driving range there, so I said [to Modric], 'Do you fancy coming down to the driving range to hit some balls?'

"He's got a club in his hand and he doesn't know how to hold it really. He turns his back and he hits the floor, missed the ball.

"I reckon he hit about one ball in 20 attempts and he just gave up.

"The next day he came down and said, 'My back is in absolute agony.'"