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Gareth Bale's proposed to transfer to Real Madrid has been the biggest football story of the last six weeks. However, it wasn't all that long ago that the Welsh winger seemed to destined for mediocrity.
We've made a brief timetable of the fall and rise of PFA Player of the Year...
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May 2007
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Gareth Bale completes his transfer from
Southampton to Tottenham Hotspur
for an initial fee of £5m.
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January 2008
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Southampton, on the brink of bankruptcy, forfeit the 25% sell-on clause for Bale they had agreed with Spurs in exchange for £3m up front and goalkeeper Tommy Forecast.
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December 2008
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Spurs are linked with Middlesbrough's Stuart Downing in a deal believed to be £15m plus Gareth Bale in exchange.
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September 2009
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After two years, three managers and 1,533 minutes of play Gareth Bale finally wins a game with Tottenham. Coming off the bench in a 5-0 victory over Burnley.
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October 2009
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After only one start in the 2009/10 season so far, Bale is supposedly on his way to Birmingham City for £3m.
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January 2010
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An injury to Benoit Assou-Ekotto gives Bale perhaps one last chance in the Spurs first team. He makes the most of it and has been a nailed-on starter ever since.
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October 2010
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Bale scores a hat-trick against Inter Milan in the San Siro, cementing his status as one of the best players in the Premier League.
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May 2013
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Bale rounds off an excellent season by winning the PFA Player of the Year award for a second time, and also wins the PFA Young Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year awards.
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August 2013
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Gareth Bale is now worth 20 Stuart Downings.
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