LONDON: Tottenham star winger Gareth Bale (pic) branded Liverpool midfielder Charlie Adam a "coward" after limping off injured following a challenge from the Scot in Saturday's 0-0 draw in a friendly in Baltimore.

Bale was sidelined for three months during 2011 after a poor tackle from Adam left him with ankle ligament damage and the Welsh man described the latest challenge as "over the top" as he left the stadium on crutches.

"From what I've seen of him on pitch, I think he's a bit of a coward," said Bale..

"I was surprised to see a challenge like that in a friendly. We're all over here to build our fitness and get a good workout and what he did as over the top, to be honest.

"But some people are like that and it's just wrong. My ankle is sore - very, very sore. We'll have to wait and see how it goes. I'll probably have to have a scan.

"There are pictures on the internet of what he did before when he snapped all my ankle ligaments.

"I was out for three months that time and one player told me he went out to do the same thing to me again.

"Seriously, I haven't ever done anything to him. He's obviously come for me twice now - and he's got me twice.

"I would have understood it had it been a slightly mis-timed tackle, even though it was just a friendly. But the ball was 10 meters past him already and was nowhere near him when he came through my ankle.

"When someone makes a very bad tackle on you in a game you expect him to come up and apologize. But I've had no apology from him and I don't really want one from him to be honest.

"That's what kind of person he is like. He's done it before, so I'm not going to accept his apology.

"All I want to do is play my game and play it the right way. It's flattering when players try to take you out in a game but when it threatens your career, it becomes more serious than that.

"It's unsportsmanlike and I don't think any player should be like that."

- mD