One of the best wingers in the world at his prime, and arguably the most successful British player in football history outside the Premier League. Gareth Bale is undoubtedly a legend of the game, and he would have achieved so much if not for the frequent injury issues that affected the latter phase of his career. There was a time when he was seen by many to potentially become the best player in the world, such were the Welshmen’s brilliant abilities. In this article we will be looking at Gareth Bale’s brilliant stint at Tottenham, which saw him rise from a young winger to eventually the most expensive player ever at the time.

Bale's style of play

Gareth Bale started his football career as a left-back, but it was then Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp who identified his brilliant pace and turned him into a left winger. The decision ended up being a masterstroke, as Bale ended up being one of the best at his position.

Any person familiar with Gareth Bale would know what his biggest strength was, it was undoubtedly his blistering pace. Bale's pace was too much to handle for defenders, as he could go past them and score or provide an assist. His legendary goal for Real Madrid against Barcelona in the 2014 Copa del Rey is the prime example of this, as he ended up destroying Marc Bartra with his immense pace.

Bale's devastating pace, along with his brilliant strength, technique, ball-control, and aerial abilities were what made him one of the most dangerous players on the planet back then.

Early struggles at Tottenham

Tottenham signed Gareth Bale for a £5 million fee from Southampton in 2007, with the fee potentially rising to £10 million based on appearances and success. Bale's first 2 years at the club saw him make numerous appearances and score goals as well, but his progress at the club was overshadowed by constant injury issues. He was still able to make over 30 appearances for the club at the time, and was also a part of the League Cup final that saw Spurs lost to United in a penalty shootout.

The breakout season

A surgery for a knee injury issue saw Bale out for 2 months and missing the first few weeks of the 2009-10 season for Spurs. He was finally back from injury, but this time was facing another issue. The brilliant form of Benoit Assou-Ekotto at the time saw the Welshmen struggle to get into the team. However, an injury to Assou-Ekotto ended up being the catalyst which saw the rise of Bale at Spurs.

Gareth Bale was finally given a chance in the Tottenham starting line-up and he completely took advantage of the opportunity given to him.  He went on to score crucial goals for the club, including the winner in Tottenham's 2-1 win over Arsenal in the North London derby. The same event occurred yet again 3 days later, as Bale scored the winner against Chelsea in yet another 2-1 win for Spurs.

Bale finally emerged as one of the best players for Spurs, as his brilliant performances played a huge part in the club qualifying for the Champions League that season. He was also rewarded with a new 4 year contract for his excellent contributions.

The final phase

Bale continued his rise as a player, as he ended up scoring his first ever Champions League goal vs Twente and was also named Welsh Player of the Year by the Football Association of Wales. On 20th October 2010, Gareth Bale went on to have his greatest ever individual performance. He scored a hat trick against European champions Inter Milan at the San Siro. Spurs lost the match 4-3, but Bale's performance ended up being the highlight of the match. The return-leg however, saw Bale put up a stunning performance with 2 assists as Spurs beat Inter 3-1.

The next 2 years saw Gareth Bale establishing himself as the best player of the Spurs side and one of the finest wingers on the planet. He continued to score crucial goals for Spurs and was even awarded both the PFA Players' Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year after his excellent showing in the 2012–13 season. He also won the FWA Footballer of the Year Award from the Football Writers' Association a week later.

The aftermath

After a magnificent 6 year stint at Spurs, Bale finally bid farewell to White Hart Lane and its fans. It was time for the next step of his career, as he became the most expensive player in football history at the time after agreeing to join Real Madrid for a then world-record £85.1 million. Bale went to become a massive success at Real Madrid, and established himself as one of the greatest to have played for Los Blancos.