Bale is undoubtedly one of Spurs’ biggest legends of the Premier League era, with the pacy attacker arriving as a teenager from Southampton back in 2007 before evolving into one of the world’s best players during his time at White Hart Lane.

The Welshman, who went on to win five Champions League titles with Real Madrid, completed a fairytale return to the North London club on loan during the 2020-21 season.

Things did not go according to plan for Bale on his return, partly owing to his issues with then-manager Jose Mourinho (Guardian), but the 34-year-old has seemingly not allowed that to affect his love for Spurs.

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Gareth Bale would never have considered Arsenal

This is how he answered a question about whether he would have joined Mikel Arteta at Arsenal:

How did @GarethBale11 respond when asked… Would you have ever played for Arsenal?

Gareth’s appearance on brand new #ALOTO is available On Demand now!#THFC #AFC pic.twitter.com/FVDnZUxUC6

— A League of Their Own (@ALOTO) October 27, 2023

Spurs Web Opinion

The speed and clarity with which Bale responded to that question tells you all that you need to know about how much he loves Tottenham.

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Bale struggled to fulfil his potential during his first couple of seasons at Tottenham, partly owing to injury issues but after Harry Redknapp decided to move him from left-back to left-wing, he never looked back.

It was his performances in the two group-stage Champions League games against Inter that got the world to stand up and take notice of his talent.

The pacy-wide man netted a hat-trick at the San Siro against the side who were the reigning European champions at the time before putting them to the sword at White Hart Lane as Spurs emerged 3-1 winners.

Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images

Inter Milan wanted to sign Gareth Bale from Spurs

Bale got his big-money move to Real Madrid a couple of years later but Defoe has revealed that the Nerazzurri made a big offer to sign the Welshman soon after his Champions League displays.

The former Spurs striker said On The Judy Podcast: “He was meant to go on loan to Nottingham Forest and then Gaz got his chance and played in the Champions League against Inter Milan, a world-class performance in both legs. 

“That was one of the best performances I’ve seen. Did you know that they put a bid in afterwards? Inter said they wanted him for £40m. I’d never seen anything like it.”

Spurs Web Opinion

If this is true, it is quite strange that we did not hear anything about this story at the time as it is very rare that high-profile transfer offers for big players are kept a secret. 

£40m was huge money 13 years ago but Tottenham’s decision to turn it down proved to be the right decision, given that Bale fetched well over double that price not too long after.

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Life at Tottenham is going pretty well for Pape Sarr right now. The 20-year-old signed for the club in the summer of 2021, but has only just started to flourish under his new manager, Ange Postecoglou.

The midfielder has formed a brilliant partnership with Yves Bissouma so far this season, and appears to be a key figure in Postecoglou’s squad now. Sarr has one goal and one assist in nine games this term (Transfermarkt).

It seems the sky is the limit for the young Senegal international, and he certainly has plenty of superstars to look up to, both in the current crop of Tottenham players, and among heroes from the recent past.

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Sarr creates his perfect Tottenham footballer

In an interview with Fubo TV Canada, Sarr was asked to look at his teammates, and those who have featured for Spurs in the past, and assemble a perfect footballer.

When asked for a right foot, Sarr named his club captain, Heung-min Son. For the left foot, he chose former Spurs man, Gareth Bale.

In terms of speed, Sarr selected Kyle Walker, and for strength, he picked his current midfield partner, Yves Bissouma. Then, in the heading department, Sarr chose Harry Kane.

Build the Perfect Footballer: Tottenham Edition with Pape Matar Sarr @fuboTVCanada pic.twitter.com/TBV0c9Q79N

— FOOTY CULTURE (@thefootyculture) October 25, 2023

To conclude, Sarr was asked if his creation could win the Ballon D’Or, and Sarr replied: “Yes definitely.

Finally, Sarr then added: “You just add Modric’s football IQ.”

Spurs Web Opinion

What a player that would be. Now if we can just find a way to make that player a reality and make sure he signs for Tottenham, we’ll be in business. I can’t really think of any other way to improve on Sarr’s choices, to be honest.

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Bale arrived at Tottenham as a teenager from Southampton in the summer of 2007 and evolved into one of the best players in the Premier League over the next six years.

Real Madrid paid what was then a world record fee of £85m (BBC Sport) to sign the winger in the summer of 2013 and he went on to win three La Liga titles and five Champions League titles during his time at the Santiago Bernabeu.

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Ben Davies loved playing with Gareth Bale at Spurs

Bale completed an emotional loan return to Tottenham during the 2020-21 campaign, and although he was not a regular in the starting eleven under Jose Mourinho, he still ended the campaign with 16 goals in all competitions (Transfermarkt).

The 33-year-old, who is undoubtedly one of the club’s biggest modern-day legends, retired from professional football after the World Cup last year.

When asked which players he has most enjoyed playing alongside during his nine and a half years at Spurs, Davies has now told TNT Sports: “I’ve been very lucky. I’ve played with some amazing players. I’ve played with Gareth Bale, not only at Wales, but also he came back to Spurs for a year which was really special.”

Spurs Web Opinion

It is a massive shame that there were no fans in the stadium during the year that Bale was back at Tottenham as a result of Covid.

The supporters deserved a chance to see their returning hero in the flesh and the atmosphere at the stadium would have been fantastic that campaign had fans been allowed.

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Since calling time on his footballing career earlier this year, Gareth Bale has seemingly spent the majority of his days on the golf course improving his iron game.

The Welshman enjoyed a phenomenal career as a player, winning just about everything there is to win at Real Madrid.

And, in two spells at Tottenham, Bale amassed 236 appearances, scoring 71 goals and registering 58 assists (Transfermarkt).

Bale only ever managed to win one League Cup trophy with Spurs, however, back in 2008. He never got to add to that, but was a part of the squad that lost in the final of the same competition to Manchester City in 2021.

Now, of course, the current crop of Spurs players are flying high under Ange Postecoglou and are sitting at the top of the Premier League table. 

Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

Gareth Bale likes what he’s seeing at Spurs

Speaking to Sky Sports recently, Bale was asked how he feels about Tottenham’s good form and he admitted it is pleasing to see.

When asked if he is enjoying seeing Spurs at the top of the league, Bale said: “Very much so. The manager has come in and done a great job, he’s changed the face of the club and looks to be on a great trajectory, and hopefully Spurs can continue to keep playing well, I’m excited for what’s to come.” 

Spurs Web Opinion

What a shame we never got to see Gareth Bale in his prime playing under a manager like Ange Postecoglou. The idea of Bale in the Ange-ball system is frightening, and very fun. It’s nice to hear he is still watching and supporting the club, too. 

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Bale arrived at Tottenham as a teenager from Southampton in the summer of 2007 and evolved into one of the best players in the Premier League over the next six years.

Real Madrid paid what was then a World Cup record fee of £85m (BBC Sport) to sign the winger in the summer of 2013 and he went on to win three La Liga titles and five Champions League titles during his time at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Bale completed an emotional loan return to Tottenham during the 2020-21 campaign, and although he was not a regular in the starting eleven under Jose Mourinho, he still ended the campaign with 16 goals in all competitions (Transfermarkt).

Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

Gareth Bale still keeps an eye on Tottenham Hotspur

The 33-year-old retired from professional football after the World Cup last year and has since spoken about his affection for Spurs, admitting in an interview with The Evening Standard last month that he is happy to see that the Lilywhites have got their ‘style back’ under Ange Postecoglou.

When asked which results he looks for first these days, Bale has now told Sky Sports News (06/10): “I normally follow Tottenham a lot. I’m obviously very close.

“I felt like I really made my name in the professional game, in terms of the high level. I always look for Tottenham. I have a lot of good friends there.” 

Spurs Web Opinion 

It is a massive shame that Bale’s return to Spurs was soured by Jose Mourinho and the fact that there were no fans at the stadium due to Covid at the time. It is great to see that despite that experience, the winger still retains an affection for the club.

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Speaking on The Tottenham Way Podcast, journalist Dan Kilpatrick revealed that Bale talked about his desire to take on golfing full-time, with his footballing career on the decline at that time.

“I remember when Bale was at Spurs, he was sort of harbouring ambitions and he was telling people that he wanted to have a crack at being a pro golfer. I remember hearing that and thinking I was onto the story of a lifetime, but it hasn’t quite worked out.”

Tottenham signed Bale from Southampton in the summer of 2007 and initially played as a left-back for the North London side. However, the Welshman’s attacking nous was evident for everyone to see and he soon transitioned into a deadly winger.

Subsequently, after posting impressive numbers in the Premier League, Real Madrid came calling in the summer of 2013 and signed Bale for over £85 million.

Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

Gareth Bale had his eye on a career in pro golf

Unfortunately, despite winning five Champions League titles with the La Liga giants, the 34-year-old never truly seemed to convince the public in the Spanish capital and was criticised by some for focusing on golf more than Madrid, which gave birth to the now-famous ‘Wales. Golf. Madrid.‘ flag.

Nevertheless, Bale will go down in history as one of the best players to have played for the Lilywhites, scoring 72 goals and providing 58 assists in 237 appearances in all competitions for Spurs during his playing career (TransferMarkt).

In 2022, Bale had one last hurrah with Los Angeles in the MLS before hanging up his boots. Since then, the former Tottenham star has been involved in the golf world and recently won a Ryder Cup celebrity all-star game in Rome.

Spurs Web Opinion

Football and golf are two entirely different sports and while Bale has thrived with the ball at his feet, it is no guarantee that the 34-year-old will be able to find the same success with his golf clubs.

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King had a long and illustrious career at Tottenham, playing a total of 268 games for the club from the time he made his senior debut in 1996 until the time he hung up his boots in 2021.

The centre-back would have undoubtedly played a lot more games for not just Tottenham but also for England if not for his injuries.

The 42-year-old played with many world-class players in N17 over the course of his career, which is why it was not easy for him to pick one as the outright best.

(Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)

Ledley King is a huge fan of Ginola, Modric and Bale

Curiously, David Ginola was the first name that the Spurs legend gave, admitting that he was mesmerised by the Frenchman when he was coming through the ranks of the club’s academy.

King then named Luka Modric as another contender before finally stating that he has never seen any player do what Gareth Bale did during his final season at Tottenham.

Watch King’s response below:

Spurs Web Opinion

While Modric is the best player that Tottenham have had in the Premier League era in terms of talent, I feel that Berbatov is another player that belongs very much if the conversation is about who had the highest peak.

The Bulgarian only stayed at White Hart Lane for two years but he was absolutely unplayable during that time and rang rings around defences without even trying.

Watching him play was pure poetry in motion and I feel that the level that he showed from 2006 to 2008 has not been matched by any Spurs play, including Bale and Kane.

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Johnson linked up with his new teammates at Hotspur Way for the first time this week following his £47.5m switch from Nottingham Forest on transfer deadline day.

It has been widely reported that he is a player that Ange Postecoglou was especially keen on adding to his squad, with The Telegraph even suggesting two weeks ago that Spurs believe that they have secured one of the best young talents across the Premier League.

Visionhaus/Getty Images

Gareth Bale has high hopes for Brennan Johnson

There has been a lot said and written about which position Johnson would play in N17, with the 22-year-old being capable of operating across the front three or as an attacking midfielder.

Some in Wales see the former Forest star as the man who can eventually fill Bale’s shoes for the Dragons, and the Spurs legend is excited to see how the youngster will develop with the Lilywhites.

When asked about Johnson, the former Tottenham man told The Evening Standard: “He’s doing well, he’s doing well. I think the more he plays now in the top flight, the better he’ll get.

“As you said, the sky is the limit. I think as long as he’s playing football and improving, it’s good for Tottenham and it’s good for Wales also.”

Spurs Web Opinion

While one can understand the comparisons with Bale, given the Spurs and Wales connection, that is only likely to put more pressure on the 22-year-old’s shoulders.

However, in fairness, I think most of those comparisons are coming from the media rather than from Spurs fans, who, for the most part, acknowledge that Johnson is a very different sort of player from Bale and expect him to write his own story at the club.

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In an effort to see Spurs get over the line and win silverware, Daniel Levy and co went for some big-name managerial appointments in Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, who both came to the club with a glittering CV in terms of trophies.

The moves backfired with neither manager delivering success in N17, with their counter-attacking approach not sitting well with the Tottenham faithful.

Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

Gareth Bale is a fan of the Postecoglou turnaround

Spurs fans are now delighted that they have gone back to a high-octane, possession-based approach, with Postecoglou’s men playing some eye-catching football in their first four games of the season.

Bale, who was himself part of some entertaining Tottenham teams under Martin Jol and Harry Redknapp, is pleased with the developments that are now taking place at his former club.

When asked if he would have enjoyed playing in this current Spurs set-up, the Weslhman said (via The Evening Standard): “Yeah, definitely. It’s great to see. They’ve got the style back, I think that’s something the club were probably looking for as well. Hopefully, there’s still more to come from the team.”

Spurs Web Opinion

If there is one thing that we have learned from the failed Conte and Jose experiments, it is that Spurs should not sacrifice their DNA of playing front-foot, attacking football for anything, including a better chance of winning trophies.

At the end of the day, football is an escape from reality for most fans, and it makes a huge difference when supporters are actually looking forward to matches again as they are excited about the type of football that team would produce.

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The inevitable comparisons with Bale have already been made given that Johnson is another pacy Welsh forward, who is looked at by many as the successor to the Tottenham legend in the Dragons set-up.

The 22-year-old also has the additional pressure of living up to the tag of being Harry Kane’s replacement, with Spurs not signing an out-and-out number nine this summer.

(Photo by Ian Cook – CameraSport via Getty Images)

His international teammate, Williams, has now insisted that those comparisons are not helpful for the new Tottenham man, admitting that the versatile attacker now faces the big challenge of having to prove himself at a top-six club.

When asked about the comparisons with Bale and Kane, the Forest star told Nottingham Post: “A lot fans will say that, but at the same time Brennan is not Gareth Bale or Harry Kane.

“He’s his own player and he has got his own style. He wouldn’t want to be compared to them or be seen as their replacements to step in.

“He has got the potential to reach the highest of levels. But at the same time he’s only 22 and still very young. He has proven it in the Premier League and now he has to prove it at what you’d say is a top-six team and do it in the Premier League again.”

Brennan Johnson is confident ahead of Spurs debut

Williams also insisted that the switch to Tottenham has made Johnson more confident in his own ability, and revealed that there was a celebration among the Welsh contingent once the move became official.

The full-back added: “He’s got a move for big money and you can see that his confidence has taken him to the next level. Hopefully, he can take that with him into this Wales camp and win us some games.

“We celebrated with a little drink and some nice food [after the move went through]. It was a little meet-up and a chance to say congratulations to Brennan on his move. To be fair, he got the bill as well.

“Everyone was buzzing for him. It was last minute but we are all very pleased for him. I’m just not looking forward to seeing him come back to the City Ground!”

Spurs Web Opinion

I do not think any Spurs fan is expecting Johnson to fill Kane’s shoes, given that the 22-year-old is not an out-and-out number nine. However, there will be more pressure on the Wales international than he has been used to at Forest, particularly given the high price tag.

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During his two spells at Tottenham, Gareth Bale scored 71 goals and contributed 58 assists in 236 appearances for the Lilywhites (Transfermarkt).

The Welshman joined Spurs from Southampton in 2007 as a 17-year-old left-back with lots to learn. He left the club in 2013 to join Real Madrid in a then world record £85m deal (BBC).

By that point, Bale had become an elite attacker. His blistering pace, formidable shooting ability, and penchant for flair made him one of the very best in the world.

And he improved further still after joining Madrid. Bale went on to win multiple trophies with the La Liga side, but never truly settled in Spain.

Bale later rejoined Tottenham on loan for the 2020/21 campaign, scoring 16 goals in 34 appearances for his former side (Transfermarkt).

Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

Gareth Bale turned down Man United for Tottenham

His career path could have been very different, however, had Bale accepted an offer from Manchester United instead of Spurs.

He told The Sun: “I rejected Manchester United and went to Tottenham. At that time, United were the biggest team in the league, they were winning trophies, they had the biggest players, the best manager. The easiest decision would be to go to Man United and the biggest club.

“You always want to be at the biggest clubs but I took the approach that I wanted to be playing first-team football. At that age, a lot of players would go for the money and would want to go to a bigger club.

“But I was playing, developing and learning. It was an important part of my development to keep playing first-team football because you can’t replicate that.”

Spurs Web Opinion

He may not have had as much success at Spurs as his talent deserved, but he wouldn’t have been the player he became if it wasn’t for that developmental period at the club. I’m sure Bale wouldn’t trade his time at Tottenham for anything, especially considering how his career ultimately played out. 

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All the noise coming out of Tottenham Hotspur right now is surrounding the future of Harry Kane.

The Spurs star has just 12 months left on his current contract and could well leave the club this summer if Bayern Munich can reach an agreement with Daniel Levy.

Visionhaus/Getty Images

According to Fabrizio Romano, the discussions between the two clubs are going ahead today in what are deemed to be ‘crucial hours’ in the Kane saga this summer.

The German side are expected to improve their previous offer, and are reportedly determined to get a deal completed by the end of this week (The Times).

Kane may not be a Tottenham player for much longer, but he has still achieved legendary status at the club after becoming Spurs’ all-time top goalscorer earlier this year (GOAL).

Kane picks Bale as best player he shared a pitch with

From one Spurs legend to another, Harry Kane has bestowed upon Gareth Bale the honour of being the best player he has ever played alongside.

When asked to name the best player he has shared a pitch with, Kane told JD Football’s official TikTok page: “Gareth Bale. Amazing talent, incredible pace, technique. Had an all-round game and has obviously done it at the highest level as well.”

Kane and Bale were united in the 2020/21 campaign under Jose Mourinho as the Welshman arrived on loan from Real Madrid.

Spurs Web Opinion

It is a shame Kane and Bale didn’t get more time together at Spurs, but they are definitely two of the very best players to ever wear the Tottenham shirt. Imagining the two of them at the peak of their powers playing alongside one another is a frightening thought.

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With a little under 12 months to go on Harry Kane‘s current contract with Tottenham, the North London side face a precarious situation. If they refuse to sell this summer, Spurs could lose their star man for nothing next year.

MUNICH, GERMANY – APRIL 19: A general view inside the Allianz Stadium prior the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal second leg match between FC Bayern München and Manchester City at Allianz Arena on April 19, 2023 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Danilo Di Giovanni/Getty Images)

Bayern Munich are the key instigators testing Spurs’ resolve this summer. The German side are apparently confident of snapping Kane up during this transfer window, and are readying an £80m bid (Daily Mirror).

Meanwhile, determined not to lose their talismanic striker, Tottenham are believed to be preparing a new contract for Kane worth £400,000 a week (Telegraph).

Bayern Munich offer could be record-breaking

According to the latest from sources at Football Insider, a new offer is heading Tottenham’s way soon, most likely when the club is done with its tour of Australasia.

The Bundesliga giants are now “increasingly confident” Kane will sign for them, and believe they have “a firm verbal agreement” in place with the 29-year-old.

Tottenham are expected to hold out for £100m before parting ways with Kane, and while it remains to be seen if Bayern will match that valuation, it is thought the transfer “is likely to now exceed” the £85m Real Madrid paid for Gareth Bale in 2013.

Apparently, the Bayern camp are in “regular dialogue” with Kane’s people, and are now confident a deal can be “finalised early next month.”

Spurs Web Opinion

Part of me wishes Bayern would just hurry up and offer £100m and get this whole thing over with.

We are going to have to move quickly to find a replacement for Kane if the worst-case scenario does happen, so hopefully Spurs are already working on that.

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One can argue that Maddison has been the bargain signing of the transfer window so far, with Spurs agreeing a deal worth £40m with Leicester City for the attacking midfielder’s transfer.

ENFIELD, ENGLAND – JUNE 28: James Maddison poses as he signs for Tottenham Hotspur at Tottenham Hotspur Training Centre on June 28, 2023 in Enfield, England. (Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)

Given the 26-year-old’s homegrown status and his numbers over the last couple of years, Tottenham will be over the moon at the deal, particularly given that Leicester were reportedly demanding £60m for the player until last week (Telegraph).

Following the move, some old tweets that Maddison had sent out when he was a teenager have resurfaced, with the midfielder expressing his disdain for the club and Gareth Bale, back when he was an academy player at Coventry City.

Maddison deletes old tweets about Bale and Spurs

According to The Mail, Maddison was 15 years of age when he tweeted in November 2012: “I hate Gareth Bale with a passion, calm down you monkey, [Jack] Wilshere is 10x better than you chimpanzee.”

He then tweeted in March 2013, aged 16: “Hope Luis Suarez destroys Tottenham today, don’t like Spurs! Especially that monkey everyone’s on about!”

The report states that the England international has now deleted those tweets after signing for Spurs, with posts before December 2019 no longer visible on the player’s Twitter account.

Spurs Web Opinion

We have all said and done embarrassing things when we were 15 and it makes no sense to bring that up.

However, this incident shows once again why high-profile people, including footballers, would be better off deleting all their social media posts as there will always be people willing to dig into their past.

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Bale arrived at Tottenham as a teenager from Southampton in the summer of 2007 and evolved into one of the best players in the Premier League over the next six years.

Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images

Real Madrid paid what was then a World Cup record fee of £85m (BBC Sport) to sign the winger in the summer of 2013 and he went on to win three La Liga titles and five Champions League titles during his time at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Bale completed an emotional loan return to Tottenham during the 2020-21 campaign, and although he was not a regular in the starting eleven under Jose Mourinho, he still ended the campaign with 16 goals in all competitions (Transfermarkt).

On the back of Wales’ disappointing World Cup campaign, the 33-year-old took to social media to announce his retirement from both international and club football.

pic.twitter.com/QF7AogJXHE

— Gareth Bale (@GarethBale11) January 9, 2023

Here’s how the likes of Kane, Son and Lo Celso reacted to Bale’s announcement:

Congrats on an amazing career, it was a pleasure to have played together.
All the best with whatever’s next! https://t.co/t7YtVekEPQ

— Harry Kane (@HKane) January 9, 2023

A legend of Spurs and a legend of football. Congratulations on an amazing career @GarethBale11!! Wishing you the best luck in your next chapter mate pic.twitter.com/NdeDGSirWY

— Son Heung-min (@Sonny7) January 9, 2023

It was a pleasure to play with you All the best in your new chapter. pic.twitter.com/vgoiePiFLm

— Giovani Lo Celso (@LoCelsoGiovani) January 9, 2023

Spurs Web Opinion

It is such a travesty that there were no fans in the stadium due to Covid during Bale’s emotional return to the club as the atmosphere at the ground would have been electric after his homecoming.

I will personally remember the Welshman for his heroics in his final season at the club under AVB as I doubt any other player has scored as many worldies in clutch moments in a single season as Bale did in 2012-13.

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It was all to play for both teams ahead of the final group game at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, with Group B finely poised after the first two rounds of fixtures.

(Photo by Markus Gilliar – GES Sportfoto/Getty Images)

The Dragons needed all three points to have any chance of progressing to the knockout stages while the Three Lions needed a point to guarantee qualification.

There was a Tottenham reunion ahead of kick-off when the two captains met for the coin toss, with Bale spending the 2020-21 campaign on loan at the North London club.

Football.London reveal that the winger greeted the England captain with a wink before the two players focussed on the task at hand.

After a relatively tight first half, Gareth Southgate’s men exploded into life after the interval, with Marcus Rashdford opening the scoring in the 50th minute with a brilliant free-kick before Phil Foden tapped in Kane’s pin-point cross at the far post to double England’s lead less than two minutes later.

Rashford added another one to his tally in the 68th minute to put the icing on the cake for Gareth Southgate’s men, who will now take on Senegal in the round of 16.

pic.twitter.com/8Z51a90zDO

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) November 29, 2022

Spurs Web Opinion

Gareth Bale and Wales flattered to deceive in all three matches. The former Spurs man looked quite off the pace, which is not surprising given that he is not playing top-level football anymore.

If the 33-year-old does announce his retirement following yesterday’s result, it would be an anti-climactic end to what has been a fabulous career.

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Bale had established himself as one of Tottenham’s best players even before Villas-Boas replaced Harry Redknapp at the helm in the summer of 2012.

Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images

However, it was during the Portuguese coach’s first season that the Welshman hit even greater heights and became widely recognised as one of the best in the world.

The winger finished the 2012-13 campaign, with 26 goals and 15 assists across all competitions (Transfermarkt), which convinced Real Madrid to pay what was then a world-record fee to sign him from Spurs in the summer of 2013 (BBC Sport).

Bale’s departure was the beginning of the end for Villas-Boas at White Hart Lane, with the Lilywhites struggling for consistency in the 2013-14 campaign and the former Chelsea boss being sacked midway through the season.

When speaking at a Web Summit this week, on a panel titled ‘Emerging Stars: How do you get to the top?’, Villas-Boas discussed how to get the best out of young players in different cultural contexts.

According to O Jogo (02/11/22 as relayed by Sport Witness), the former Spurs boss explained that in China, players “are more used to following orders, in an almost dictatorship rule” while in Europe, “here is the creative side of letting footballers have freedom”.

He then went on to add about Bale: “Gareth Bale was one of those examples. He is a player who likes that freedom, and, at Tottenham, he produced an incredible season with me, which took him to Real Madrid, where he won a series of trophies. Sometimes, you have to open up that freedom.”

Spurs Web Opinion

The free role that Villas-Boas gave Bale in the 2012-13 season was the key to getting the best out of the winger. While Redknapp mostly played Bale on the left, the Welshman showcased even more facets to his game when he was given the freedom to pick the ball up in different areas of the pitch and was absolved of some defensive responsibility.

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Bale is considered by many Spurs fans to be one of the club’s best players of the Premier League era, with the winger being nearly unplayable during his final few years at Tottenham.

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His reputation has only grown even further thanks to the various trophies he won during his time at Real Madrid after making the switch to the Spanish capital in the summer of 2013.

However, it was certainly not all smooth sailing for Bale at Spurs, with the Lilywhites not winning the first 24 matches in which the Southampton academy graduate featured after his move from the South Coast (ESPN).

Hutton explained how had Benoit Assou-Ekotto not gone to the African Cup of Nations, thus forcing Harry Redknapp to play Bale at left-back, the winger might have joined Nottingham Forest.

The former Spurs right-back told The Daily Star: “Gareth Bale had a difficult situation, he had all the talent in the world but just needed an arm around him from what I could see.

“I think it was January and Assou-Ekotto was playing left-back, Bale’s position at the time, and he got a call-up for the Africa Cup of Nations.

“Bale had to then step in and play, but prior to that there was word he was going to Nottingham Forest. I’m not sure if it was a loan or permanent but that says to me that [Tottenham manager] Harry [Redknapp] didn’t fancy him.

“But once he came into the side he used the opportunity to show his talent and the rest is history.”

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Bale’s story is just one of many which shows just how important confidence is in getting the best out of players, particularly those who are young. That is why we will never know how good the likes of Djed Spence and Bryan Gil can turn out to be unless they get a run of consecutive starts under their belt.

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Freidel spent four years at Spurs after signing for the club on a free transfer in the summer of 2011.

The former USA international was the North London club’s number one during his first season at the club before being displaced by Hugo Lloris less than halfway into his second season.

However, Friedel continued to serve as a backup goalkeeper until 2014 and on leaving, even became a club ambassador and worked on his coaching badges at Hotspur Way.

The 51-year-old, who has since gone on to manager MLS side New England Revolution, was asked to pick the best eleven from the teammates he had over his Premier League career.

Five Spurs players made into Friedel’s eleven, with the former goalkeeper naming Vertonghen at left-back.

He told FourFourTwo about the Belgian: “Jan hated playing left-back with a passion, but he was just too good to be left out!

“Excellent as a centre-back, his true position, and was a very good passer. He was just one of those players who could slide into any top club and not be out of place.”

Freidel also waxed lyrical about King, stating that the former Tottenham captain was the best player he played behind.

He said about King: “He hardly ever trained because of his knee – I never knew how a player could do that and just fit in seamlessly.

“I’ve never known a captain as quiet, but Ledley commanded everyone’s respect. Positionally, he was the best I played behind. Very rarely did I scan the field and tell him where anyone was.”

Finally, the former Blackburn and Aston Villa star named Mauricio Pochettino as the manager of his side, and said about the Argentine: “His attention to detail was second to none.

“He’s a compassionate man, but passionate about the game, too. Poch was very, very smart and he ran the club like no other I’ve been around.”

The full XI was as follows: 

David James;

Kyle Walker, Ledley King, Eddie Pope, Jan Vertonghen;

Paul Ince, Tugay;

Gareth Bale, Luka Modric, Gheorghe Hagi;

Harry Kane

Bench: Uli Van Gobbel, Mousa Dembele, Michael Owen

Manager: Mauricio Pochettino

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I find it interesting that Freidel has left out Scott Parker, who was extremely solid in the two years he had at Spurs. Mousa Dembele is another curious omission (who only made the bench), particularly considering the 51-year-old has named his former Blackburn teammate Tugay Kerimoglu in midfield.

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