Tottenham: Latest comments from Gareth Bale will excite fans
By Durim Halimi
Gareth Bale has officially returned to Tottenham
Gareth Bale has left Madrid to make his return to London where he will suit up for Tottenham once again, but this time as a loanee. Jose Mourinho and Spurs supporters are thrilled to about this season-long deal as Bale provides that extra bit of quality the squad has been lacking.
The Welshman had quite the experience at Real Madrid with plenty of ups and downs. Bale spent seven seasons with the Spanish giants and became accustomed to raising domestic and continental trophies. Despite Bale’s direct involvement in 158 goals for Real Madrid, his relationship with manager Zinedine Zidane hit a boiling point, which led to a limited role in the squad over the last two seasons.
Jose Mourinho and Tottenham have provided Bale with an exciting escape, and it is one he is grateful for. As quoted by Football.London in an article written by Callum Dowdeswell and Jamie Kemble, here is what the 31-year-old had to say about his return:
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"It’s incredible to be back, and hopefully I can get some match fitness, get back under way and really help the team and hopefully win trophies.[…]It’s a good time for me, I’m hungry, motivated and can’t wait to get started."
His work rate was questioned by Zidane and many Madristas in his last few seasons in La Liga, but his desire to get back on the pitch and perform at an elite level is not lacking at the moment.
Winning the Europa League, or a domestic cup is not out of reach for Tottenham, but Bale can scrap any ambitious objective of winning the Premier League title.
The primacy currently being asserted by Liverpool and Manchester City is unmatched, but Bale’s arrival alone could put Tottenham back in that Top Four discussion. Bale was already recognized as a top player when he left Tottenham, but now he returns to north London with more experience and a winning mentality.
Tottenham managed to break into the Top Six last term because of goal differential, but they struggled to cope with multiple injuries to key players. It got to the point where Spurs looked like a mid-table side for several weeks, and this is reflected in the fact that drew 11 times and suffered just as many defeats.
Bale now provides a new element for Mourinho to utilize offensively, and the “Special One” also has a reliable playmaker who can make things happen when collective creativity is lacking. It will take a few games to get Bale back to full match fitness, but he should have an immediate impact once he settles into this squad.
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Tottenham are already off to a shaky start after losing to Everton last weekend, so the pressure to perform is already building, which also means that Bale has returned at the perfect time.