Stoke City boss Mark Hughes has urged Gareth Bale to tough it out at Real Madrid.

Bale has been linked with Manchester United and Chelsea this season.

But Hughes says: "He's done everything right up to this point and having a huge impact over there but if he can, stay as long as you can.

"When you get the opportunity to go to a club such as Barcelona or Real Madrid you've got to go with the intention that you're going to try and stay there for as long as you can until they actually kick you out of the door."

The former Barcelona striker also told BBC Sport: "I went there when I was 23 but I was a young 23. I wasn't married and I'd only just met my wife-to-be a couple of months before.

"It was difficult - I was out there on my own at times.

"If you have a good support network, which by all accounts Gareth has over there, I'd say stay as long as you can because you'll look back and think what a great experience that was."