Brilliant Gareth Bale seals dream move to Real Madrid
Tottenham's failure to keep pace with Bale's ambitions ultimately sowed the seeds that led to the winger's decision to swap the Lilywhites of White Hart Lane for Los Blancos from the Bernabeu.
- Agence France-Presse
- Updated: September 02, 2013 12:14 AM IST
When Gareth Bale, who signed for Real Madrid on Sunday, leapt joyously into the arms of Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas on a wind-swept February night in east London, the Welsh winger's meteoric rise to becoming one of the world's most coveted players was almost complete.
Villas-Boas could never have realised as he held Bale in a jubilant embrace, but the 24-year-old's sublime 90th minute winner at West Ham last season was the moment he started slipping from his grasp.
Whether Zinedine Zidane and his fellow Real Madrid power-brokers were watching at home in Spain that night as Bale smashed an unstoppable 30-yard strike past West Ham keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen made little difference.
The breath-taking power and poise of Bale's eighth goal in six games did more than seal three points in a passionate London derby; it sent a message to the rest of the world that here for a talent worth breaking the bank for.
That moment of magic at Upton Park was the culmination of an incredible season of individual brilliance that saw Bale placed in the same rarified bracket as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, while his fellow professionals in England voted him as both player and young player of the year.
But, although the personal plaudits were welcome, Bale knew he wouldn't be ranked among the game's true greats until he inspired a team to domestic and European glory.
Even with Bale's ability to terrorise defenders with his electrifying pace and lethal finishing, Villas-Boas's team missed out on this season's Champions League.
And Tottenham's failure to keep pace with Bale's ambitions ultimately sowed the seeds that led to the winger's decision to swap the Lilywhites of White Hart Lane for Los Blancos from the Bernabeu.
Bale was a Champions League player in a Europa League team. He knew he needed to play on the grandest stages with the best players, like Messi and Ronaldo, to make the most of his skills and Madrid offers him that platform.
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy, a ruthless negotiator, had been determined to keep Bale at all costs, while Villas-Boas hoped his warm relationship with the star would make him stick around for at least one more year.
Unfortunately for Levy, who wanted to persuade Bale to stay by giving him the most lucrative contract in the club's history, Madrid can offer far more than just a boost to his bank balance.
As Manchester United found when Ronaldo joined Real for the world record fee of £80 million in 2009, few can resist the lure of the nine-time European champions.
Bale's price has so far not been divulged but his transfer was done shortly after French legend Zidane, a member of Madrid's hierarchy, made it clear his club wanted the winger regardless of the price.
Sunday's transfer is a far cry from Bale's early days with Spurs, when he was in danger of letting his potential fizzle out amid concerns the shy boy from Cardiff wasn't tough enough for the cut-throat world of top-flight football.
Tottenham paid £10 million in 2007 to sign Bale from Southampton, who had made him their second-youngest ever player at 16 years and 275 days.
It may be hard to believe now, but he was initially seen as something of a curse after failing to appear on the winning side in his first 24 matches and then Spurs boss Harry Redknapp was twice on the verge of sending him out on loan to Birmingham and Nottingham Forest.
Yet Bale was too sublime a talent to remain subdued.
Credit for his emergence must also be given to Redknapp, who switched Bale from left-back to a more attacking role on the wing, and Villas-Boas, whose decision to move Bale infield has paid rich dividends.
He blossomed soon enough and really announced his arrival with two stunning performances against Inter Milan in 2010.
A hat-trick in the San Siro was followed by a demolition job on Inter's Maicon, then regarded as the world's best right-back, which prompted jubilant chants of "Taxi for Maicon" from the White Hart Lane crowd.
Bale had finally announced his arrival on the big stage and last season truly confirmed he was the Real deal.