Bale has to earn the right to play, insists Mourinho

TOTTENHAM boss Jose Mourinho says Gareth Bale has to earn the right to play for the club, saying he cannot just give players minutes to get match fit.

The Wales star’s return to North London and the Premier League has so far been underwhelming, featuring mainly in the Europa League and domestic cup competitions rather than in top-flight games.

Mourinho has been constantly quizzed over the 31-year-old’s lack of game-time and he has now explained the situation in blunt terms.

“I cannot give players minutes,” Mourinho said. “We all know the difficulties he had in the last couple of seasons, we all know that he arrived injured. The most important thing for him is to be consistent training without problems.

“When a player is consistently training at high intensity without any problems, then the player is ready.”