Mousa Dembele of Tottenham Hotspur FC during the UEFA Champions League group C match between PSV Eindhoven and Tottenham Hotspur FC at the Phillips stadium on October 24, 2018 in Eindhoven, The Netherlands(Photo by VI Images via Getty Images)
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Tottenham Hotspur’s Welsh midfielder Gareth Bale reacts after the final whistle during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on May 19, 2021. – – RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by PAUL CHILDS / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by PAUL CHILDS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Gareth Bale reached superstar status before the sun set on his first stint at Tottenham. The match winner turned countless games on its head by a stroke of genius or an immense performance. He single handedly tossed the team on his back, concurrently putting the football world on notice.
Everyone in the football world knew he would dominate at an elite level for a number of years, which he did once arriving in Madrid. Bale won four Champions League trophies in a five-year span and has won more individual medals than he knows what do with.
His return to Hotspur Way before last season was met with feverish anticipation. While some will say he didn’t live up to expectations, Bale scored more goals per minute than any other player in the elite leagues across Europe.
