Gareth Bale has returned to Tottenham, reuniting with the club where he established himself as a household name.
It will be interesting to see how he gets on. There have been questions about where he fits into a Jose Mourinho side, while it is also clear that the Welshman is no longer at his peak. Still, he has the opportunity to make a huge impact.
It's difficult to overstate just how good Bale was during his first spell in the Premier League. His mixture of pace, power, and dribbling ability made him unplayable at times, something his former opponents know all too well.
Appearing on Monday Night Football this evening, Micah Richards recalled the roasting that he got off the winger during his first spell Spurs.
"Let's say I got the better of him. I ate him for lunch!" 🥪@MicahRichards looks back on meeting @GarethBale11 for the first time!
Watch #AVLSHU live on Sky Sports Premier League or follow it here: https://t.co/r4jQxS9rE3 pic.twitter.com/MEnR4VGFOI— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 21, 2020
Many moons ago at Southampton, he was playing left back and I was playing right back. There was a big spread in the paper saying 'Richard vs Bale'.
Let's just say I got the better of him. I probably ate him for lunch!
So then forward a few seasons he goes to Spurs and subconsciously I'm thinking 'it's only Gareth Bale, I can handle him, I've had him at Southampton'.
It was a massive, massive mistake. He destroyed me. If it wasn't for Joe Hart in that game, it was 0-0, at White Hart Lane. He had pace, power, fitness.
I always thought as a defender 'hit them hard early doors and they won't come back'. But he kept coming back, and coming back, and coming back.
If Spurs now get even 70 per cent of that Gareth Bale, they will be a great team.
As for what Bale can do to contribute going forward, we probably shouldn't expect a return of the player he was in 2013.
He hasn't played much football over the last couple of season, with a mixture of injuries and a fallout with Zinedine Zidane contributing to his lack of playing time.
However, Jamie Carragher believes that Spurs don't need him to be the Gareth Bale of old.
Is @GarethBale11 past his peak?
"We want him to come into the league and rip it up and go past full-backs like Micah!"
Watch #AVLSHU live on Sky Sports Premier League or follow it here: https://t.co/r4jQxS9rE3 pic.twitter.com/2hrETiFpfl— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 21, 2020
They're not getting the same player as peak Spurs, when you think of the great goals and player of the year trophies. But they don't need that.
If they're getting the player that's getting a goal or assist every 146 minutes, don't forget about what they've already got in the team with Kane and Son.
He won't be the 'go to man' like he was before. What he could do, you see Son and Kane's really high numbers, look at the guy on the right wing in Lucas. He doesn't get near enough goals or assists.
It's almost double that Gareth Bale has got in the last four years. If Gareth Bale can just bring those numbers and never got back to what he was at Spurs, I think that gives Spurs a real chance to propel themselves back into that top four.
At the moment they still look a bit shaky defensively, but if you look at the goals they need to get themselves into that position, if you just had his numbers for the last four years... if he can just supplement the other two they have a great chance.
It will certainly be an interesting season ahead.
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