Former Tottenham Hotspur winger Gareth Bale will only become Real Madrid's main star once Cristiano Ronaldo's dominance begins to fade, according to former England international Gary Lineker.

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Bale has been in Ronaldo's shadow since making the move to the Spanish capital in 2013, but Lineker has insisted that the Welshman will take over the mantle when the Portuguese forward is no longer able to produce the high standard of football he does now.

"Bale's a wonderful talent. He's a great player, he's unbelievably talented," Lineker told AS.

"He's always going to be in the shadow of Ronaldo while he's there, because all players are. But he could be the player that steps up once Ronaldo's powers begin to wane.

"I think he's amazing with Wales because he is the main man there and I think he revels in that, he enjoys it.

"He can't quite be that yet at Real Madrid because they've got a global superstar there who is pretty demanding and who will always be the key man.

"If Cristiano got injured for a spell of time, it wouldn't surprise me at all if Gareth stepped up to be the star player.

"I think he's got that ability within him. It's just whether he's got the personal inner belief in his own ability. And I think he has.

"He's more than capable of doing that. He's a wonderfully talented player."

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The 26-year-old has had a quiet campaign by his standards, but has still scored 14 goals in 17 La Liga matches this season.

Do you think Bale is good enough to become Real's next main man? Have your say in the comments section below.