Bale out to silence his critics for good
GARETH BALE has won four Champions League trophies, two La Liga titles and earns £600,000 a week, apparently. That’s an astonishing level of success with a bank balance to match. But, as strange as it sounds, I definitely think he is coming back to Spurs with a point to prove. For all he achieved in Spain, he never seemed to be loved by the Real Madrid fans. Even before the unhappy times and the talk of falling out with Zinedine Zidane, he didn’t gain the kind of hero worship you might expect. It’s quite difficult to understand looking from the outside, but I have spoken a lot with Thomas Gravesen about his own experiences of Madrid. He says it is probably the most difficult of all the places to go and play. People are so used to watching incredible footballers, but perhaps also footballers who give something to the crowd. Bale comes across a little bit more introverted than some superstars. There have also been suggestions he never got to grips with the language. That maybe explains part of it, but a fresh start back at Spurs in this loan period provides a chance for him to show that he is still capable of being a truly extraordinary talent. Does he have the hunger to do that? Also, does he have the fitness? Because injuries also played a part in his story in Spain. You could argue that news of his signing has already given Spurs a lift when you see how Son Heung-min and Harry Kane played in Sunday’s 5-2 win over Southampton. However, if the club are paying half of his Madrid wages — as reports have suggested — then they will be looking for a tangible reward for that investment. Spurs haven’t won a trophy since the 2008 Carling Cup, when Bale was still a teenager. If he provides the impetus to end that long, barren run, it might yet prove money well spent and silence some of his critics in Madrid.