Former Tottenham striker Jurgen Klinsmann has urged Gareth Bale not to sit out his career.

The Real Madrid attacker has fallen out with coach Zinedine Zidane amid reports he's prepared to sit out the final two years of his contract.

But Klinsmann told talkSPORT: "Being on the bench is the worst punishment for a player. The most important thing for any footballer is to be on the field and play. When that doesn't happen, sooner rather than later you have to come to the conclusion of evaluating an exit.

"There is a point when you become a professional player where you would like to earn a considerable amount of money to feel more confident. But once you have met that goal, only one thing matters: play and score goals, and build your record history.

"You want to leave football one day after 30 years and say 'Ok, look at my career, I managed to score in X teams and X goals in different competitions'."

Klinsmann added: "We would love to admire a player like him week after week on television. As a Tottenham fan, I would love for him to come back."