Gareth Bale explains how he can help Tottenham end trophy drought
Gareth Bale says he wants to use his experience to help Tottenham win trophies after returning to the club from Real Madrid.
Bale arrives at Spurs in a double deal alongside left-back Sergio Reguilon. The Spaniard has signed a permanent deal, while Bale’s move is a loan.
At Madrid, Bale won four Champions Leagues, two LaLiga titles and a Copa del Rey among others. And he now hopes to bring success to the club where he first established himself as a world-class talent.
“I think by going to Madrid, winning trophies and going far with the national team I feel like I have that kind of winning mentality, how to win trophies,” said Bale, a Euro 2016 semi-finalist with Wales.
“You don’t realise it until you’re there and in those situations, in finals, know how to deal with the situation, the nerves, the pressure. And I think that all goes with experience.
“Hopefully I can bring that to the dressing room, bring a bit more belief to everybody that we can win a trophy. And the target is to do that this season, to be fighting on every front possible. I want to bring that mentality here, back to Tottenham.
“It’s an exciting time for everybody here, the club continues to progress every year. And I want to contribute to that again and try to get us to the next level, which is winning a trophy.
“It’s such an important thing for this club, to win trophies. As players, we want to win trophies in our careers. And to be doing it at Tottenham now would be a dream come true.”
Spurs’ last prize was the 2008 League Cup, with two more finals in that competition since. They have also reached four FA Cup semi-finals and a runner-up finish in the 2016/17 Premier League.
The club confirmed Bale would not be match fit until after October’s international break. That’s because he sustained a knee injury while on international duty earlier this month.
‘Incredible to be back’
Bale said in an interview posted on Tottenham’s Twitter feed: “It’s nice to be back. It’s such a special club to me. It’s where I made my name and what an amazing club, amazing fans.
He added: “It’s just incredible to be back and hopefully now I can get some match fitness and get under way and really help the team, and hopefully win trophies.
“I always thought when I did leave that one day I would love to come back. The opportunity now has arisen and I feel like it’s a good fit.
“I feel like it’s a good time for me. I’m hungry, I’m motivated, I want to do well for the team and I can’t wait to get started.”