Real Madrid superstar Gareth Bale has declared the Puskas Award has been “a little diminished” after his staggering Champions League final goal was beaten by Liverpool icon Mohamed Salah’s more-mundane Merseyside derby effort.

Bale, 29, produced a staggering – and critical – overhead kick against the Reds to decide May’s showpiece. This was widely predicted to head a field that contained Salah’s solo effort against Everton.

However, the public vote went the Egypt forward’s way for an award that launched in 2009 to commemorate the year’s best strike. When quizzed about the decision by FourFourTwo magazine, Bale responded: “Yeah, I was surprised by that, to be honest.

“What can you say? It makes the award look a little diminished, although it was obviously a great goal by Salah.”