Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has challengeed Gareth Bale to give an interview in Spanish.

The Real forward is often criticised for failing to learn the language, but Courtois has given a different side to the story.

"I get on best with the young players like Fede [Valverde] Brahim, before with [Sergio] Reguilon... I have Casemiro by my side and I also speak a lot with him, also with Isco and Eden [Hazard]... they are who I spend most time with," Courtois told MARCA.

"In the end, I'm an easy person to get along with. I speak four languages (English, Dutch, French and Spanish) and I always studied German at school, so I speak a little bit. And, with so many Brazilian teammates, I'm learning a bit of Portuguese.

"I like to keep up my English with Gareth, although he speaks better Spanish than people think. He could give an interview in Spanish perfectly well. I speak to him a lot, I also like golf.

"Gareth does everything to win matches.

"They always go after him for the same things: golf, the language... I want to see him go out and give an interview in Spanish because he speaks very well in the dressing room with lots of teammates and he understands it very well.

"But it's his thing if he prefers to speak English, it would only be to stop people saying these things [about his Spanish] and they can see that he's very devoted."