There is a strong argument to be made that Gareth Bale is the best British football export of all time. The Welshman did it all at Real Madrid and he did it in style. From leaving Jordi Alba chasing shadows to score one of the most iconic El Clasico goals of all time to that overhead kick in the 2018 Champions League final, Bale is an undeniable great.
For a man who famously had Wales, golf and Real Madrid in an unexpected order or priorities towards the end of his time in Spain as things soured, Bale’s numbers during his time at the Bernabeu prove that saying may not have always been true.
Forming an iconic partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema to help Real Madrid become the first and only side in history to win three-straight Champions League titles, it wouldn’t have been absurd to suggest that Bale was the best player in the world at one stage.
The praise that the iconic winger received reflected the level that he was playing at. During his first year in Spain, Madrid captain Sergio Ramos told reporters: “The truth is because he did not play for a team in England that played in the Champions League – we did not know that much about him.
“We know if he the coach wanted him that strongly he must be a good player – but nobody was prepared for how special he is. It has only been a few training sessions we have seen him in – but some of what we see we can’t believe. He is so fast, so tricky, and the frightening thing is that he is not even 100 per cent game fit yet.”
For all his iconic teammates and coaches at Real Madrid, however, Bale has not forgotten who turned him into the world-beater that graced Europe’s biggest occassions over the years.
Gareth Bale revealed: Redknapp made me one of the world’s best. Long before the world knew exactly how good Bale was, it was Harry Redknapp at Tottenham Hotspur who was giving a young Welshman the opportunity to thrive in the Premier League.
It was the experienced manager who recognised Bale’s attacking talent and turned him into a winger as a result, birthing one of the best British players of all time as a result. And the former Spurs man hasn’t forgotten Redknapp’s influence.
“There were a lot of things the manager wanted me to do and there were certain aspects of my game I needed to improve on. And he wanted me to toughen up as I was still a young boy at the time.
“So I worked hard in training to prove to him that I was worthy of a spot in the team. He always said, ‘Be patient and keep working hard in training and you will get your chance’.” (via The Standard)
Bale has certainly never forgotten the impact that his former Spurs manager had on his career.
