Tottenham Hotspur's Gareth Bale has hit out at claims that he is a 'diver'.
The Welsh international explained that he only goes to ground when it is necessary to avoid a career-threatening tackle.
"If people want to say I'm diving then they can, but I'm trying to get out of the way and save myself, save my career if you like," said Bale.
"It's a bit annoying [when people say I dive] but you've got people flying in at you, you're trying to get out of the way of the challenge. If you stand there, you're going to get a whack."
Bale is likely to make the Tottenham squad for this Saturday's trip to Everton despite playing through last night's FA Cup win over Stevenage with a virus.
