Gareth Bale shoots on his way to a hat-trick against Inter Milan at the San Siro in October 2010 That’s him all over.’ The buzz about Bale continued throughout the 2006/7 season for Southampton, until Spurs came in with a bid and he was sold for £5 million (rising to £10 million on appearances) in May 2007.
The home fans had been enjoying the spectacle of watching their team, Inter Milan, the reigning European champions, brush aside their visitors from north London, Tottenham Hotspur.
Is he a good cook?
'I would have probably laughed,’ he says. Since his last visit there have been persistent rumours of a possible transfer to one of Europe’s biggest clubs, with pundits valuing him at between £30 million and £50 million. Bale was suddenly being spoken of in the same breath as his boyhood hero, Manchester United’s Ryan Giggs. I think that’s just a part of my game, which gives me a little bit of an advantage, but I’ve been doing that for a long while.’ In fact, the evidence was there at school. On the subject of big-money moves, he says, 'I just concentrate on what I’m doing, playing for Tottenham and training and learning more.’ The joy of just playing football for a living runs like a refrain throughout our interview. 'He went to Cardiff to his mum’s. He’s been the biggest influence in my life.’ Despite the parental input, his chances of a football career seemed to be in jeopardy when, as a teenager, he began to struggle with persistent back pain. 'No, but I know he’s quicker than me.’ How can you tell?
He will certainly need to cope with plenty more. It meant a lot of time spent in cars with his parents. 'It was a difficult time for me,’ he says. 'I wouldn’t know, myself.
Until then, Bale says, he was just an ordinary kid who enjoyed playing football with his mates in the street. 'I wouldn’t like to say what I could run now, but I’m definitely a lot quicker.’ He excelled at middle-distance and long-distance events, too. Fresh from AskMen: How are you enjoying FIFA on the Xbox One, Gareth?AM: Now, you seem to be striking one of sport’s great friendships with a certain Portuguese no7…AM: They’re going to be deciding the World Player of the Year very soon. The home fans had been enjoying the spectacle of watching their team, Inter Milan, the reigning European champions, brush aside their visitors from north London, Tottenham Hotspur. Although he now lives in Essex, Bale still returns regularly to Cardiff.
Is he a good cook? 'Every journey was just a bit of fun and we had a laugh, singing along together. I was playing in a five-a-side tournament in Newport with my local team, Cardiff Civil Service, and there was a Southampton scout there. I’ve made a lot of friends out of it. It echoes the words of his manager after his performance against Inter: 'I gave Gareth four days off last week because I thought he needed a break, and I told him to go abroad,’ Redknapp said. The match appeared all over by half-time, with the home side dominating 4-0. But you can imagine what having 12 to 14 boys in a house would be like. 'No. 'My close friends or my sister would ask me to. 'My close friends or my sister would ask me to. While Redknapp has suggested his best position will ultimately be the defensive role, Bale says he’s enjoying where he’s playing at the moment: 'I think the best part of my game, whether I’m playing left-back or left mid, is going forward. 'It was obviously a big night for me personally, but it was disappointing to lose the game.’ And those performance statistics, had they come as a surprise? I never really liked it. Bale will have the chance to test his mettle against Europe’s finest when Spurs take on AC Milan when the Champions League resumes next month, in a match that will see Bale return to the San Siro. Bale had to wait for his chance until the Cameroonian international left to play in the African Nations Cup. I think that’s just a part of my game, which gives me a little bit of an advantage, but I’ve been doing that for a long while.’ In fact, the evidence was there at school. ('He plays golf,’ Bale says.) Every little kid does. The central defender is confident Gareth Bale will be an asset for Real Madrid in the future 'Of course, professionally, you owe yourself to a team, to a club, and you try to be as honest as possible. He remembers it as 'a great occasion for me and my family and everybody who was there to support me’, but he still seems troubled by the result (Spurs lost 1-0).
How did he cope with that? At 14 Bale was running 100m in 11.4 seconds.
When Assou-Ekotto returned, Bale was moved forward into left midfield. He was finally rescued from the curse when Redknapp put him on as a substitute for the last five minutes of a match against Burnley at the beginning of the 2009/10 season, with Spurs already winning 4-0. ... Gareth Bale with Cristiano Ronaldo on first day of training at Real Madrid - Duration: 1:14. To begin with, he was training regularly at the club’s satellite academy in Bath, but by the time he was 14 he was travelling to Southampton every week. They both liked jokes. 'They haven’t changed at all. 'Just look at him.
'I’m still young, I’m still learning a lot, and I think every game I’m starting to pick up new things. Gareth Bale interview: born to run How Spurs winger Gareth Bale went from subs bench to superstar Image 1 of 2. Refuelling is important, he says, although there are no big secrets. That’s the reason why I don’t drink at all.’ So far, he doesn’t seem bothered by all the extra attention he has received this season.