Former Tottenham Hotspur captain Gary Mabbutt has been speaking in glowing terms about the Lilywhites’ re-signing of Welsh winger Gareth Bale on loan for the 2020/21 campaign.
Speaking exclusively to This Is Futbol, the ex-Tottenham man, who played in both midfield and the centre of defence during his Spurs career, had this to say on the club’s decision to bring Bale back to north London and the impact he anticipates that decision will have.
He said: “The re-signing of Gareth Bale, I think, made a big difference. I mean, I’m not sure how people can understand it within the dressing room, but the dynamics change completely.
“The attitude changes, it shows the Premier League that Tottenham are serious with their intentions of going for the title this season by bringing in Gareth Bale and the other players we’ve brought in.”
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Bale certainly managed to impress during his initial spell as a Tottenham Hotspur player, with the Wales international claiming the PFA Player of the Year award in the 2012/13 campaign – the last season he spent at the north London club before making his then-world record transfer to Real Madrid.
During his time at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Bale enjoyed plenty of success, winning four UEFA Champions League titles, four FIFA Club World Cups, three UEFA Super Cups, two La Liga titles, one Spanish Cup and one Spanish Super Cup.
Meanwhile, Spurs have failed to win a single major trophy since Bale’s first stint at the club, during which he helped them to claim the 2007/08 League Cup.
Given how illustrious the 31-year-old’s career has been since his departure from Spurs in the summer of 2013, perhaps his return on loan does represent something of a signal of intent from the north London club concerning their desire to end their trophyless run, and so it may be understandable why Mabbutt was full of praise for this bit of business from his former club.