Gareth Bale is set to retire before he turns 33 after seeing out the final year of his contract with Real Madrid next season, according to a report in Spanish newspaper AS.

Bale's long-awaited return to Tottenham has not gone to plan, starting only 10 of Spurs' Premier League games this season, and he has made no secret of the fact he is going to return to the Spanish capital at the end of the campaign as he still has one year left on the six-year deal he signed with Real in 2016.

The report in AS says Bale, 31, is intent on seeing out the final year back at the Santiago Bernabeu and will then hang up his boots for good.

Gareth Bale salutes Spurs fans after losing to Aston Villa in what is set to be his last home game

Bale's camp declined to comment on the report when contacted by Sportsmail.

Although Bale's return to Tottenham has experienced some highs, such as scoring a hat-trick against Sheffield United last month or his braces against Burnley and Crystal Palace, he has continued to be held back by his notorious fitness problems.

The report in AS said Bale was so concerned about getting injured that he designed a specific plan in which he would not train more than three days per week, one of which was a recovery session.

'What's more, his obsession to control  his body made him avoid fast-paced exercises in training sessions,' it added.

Bale did not start what looks set to be his final home game with Spurs on Wednesday although he did come off the bench in the 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa to salute the returning fans in what looked like another wave goodbye from the club where he became a global star.

Spurs caretaker coach Ryan Mason alluded to Bale's careful consideration for his body before the game, saying the fact he had played 89 minutes in Sunday's 2-0 win over Wolves meant he was not able to start again so soon.

'Gareth played the best part of 90 minutes at the weekend, the most he's played all season in the Premier League,' Mason told Sky Sports before the game.

'Gareth is an experienced man and he knows his body. We spoke and he felt it was best for him and his body not to start today. That's all there is.'

The fact Bale has played so little for Spurs will not come as a surprise to fans of Real Madrid, where the Welshman started only 12 LaLiga matches the previous season and played hardly any part in the team's run to the title.

His relationship with coach Zinedine Zidane also hit rock bottom after the Frenchman claimed Bale refused to travel with the team to their Champions League last-16 second leg at Manchester City as he was unlikely to get on the pitch.

Zidane could be set to leave Real again this summer, giving Bale a better chance of getting some game time if he does return to Spain.

But if the report in AS is to be believed, his playing days are nearly at an end.