Bale Showing True Colours

It was always going to take Gareth Bale time to settle back into life in the Premier League, but now the Wales international is shining once again at Tottenham.

A player who has had to bide his time and overcome injuries, Bale is back starting games for Spurs and is finding some terrific form as the business end of the season approaches.

Bale over ‘Psychological Scars’

Following a 4-1 victory over Crystal Palace in March, manager Jose Mourinho claimed his loan star had recovered from "psychological scars". Injuries and a lack of starts at the Santiago Bernabeu saw Bale drop down the pecking order at Real Madrid, before making the loan return to Tottenham.

Those who use sites like Sporticos for scores, statistics and post-game articles to follow live matches today, will be aware Spurs went through a tough spell at the end of January and into February. Tottenham suffered a 3-1 defeat at home to Liverpool, before going on to lose four of their following five games in all competitions.

After a 2-1 defeat to London rivals West Ham on February 24, Spurs appeared to turn the corner thanks to a 4-0 demolition of Wolfsberger in the Europa League. Bale bagged the third goal in that comprehensive victory in north London, and has not really looked back since. The Welshman went on to bag a brace against Burnley, and another two goals against Crystal Palace, as Spurs climbed up the table.

It does now seem Bale has overcome those mental demons and, perhaps more importantly, got back to grips with the rigors of the Premier League.

Time was Always Needed

Having endured a spate of injuries in the Spanish capital, it was more than Bale’s body that was taking knocks, it was his confidence too. After a move to the Chinese Super League fell through the previous year, Bale finally got his wish to be loaned back to Spurs last September.

It’s no secret the pace of football in La Liga is not up to the same standard as the Premier League. Playing for a club like Real, the reigning Spanish champions arguably have far less games to get up for than the top clubs in the English top flight. The Premier League has already shown those at the bottom can topple those at the top, and the physicality of the competition can take its toll.

After seven years in La Liga, it was bound to take the 31-year-old time to get back into the swing of things in the Premier League. Now Spurs fans will be delighted to see Bale back on form, and slotting in a starting lineup alongside the likes of skipper Harry Kane and Heung-min Son. There were questions about whether Kane and Bale could work in the same starting lineup under Mourinho, but now the Portuguese tactician has them working in tandem.

It can only bode well for the rest of the season, and now Spurs fans can hope they will see Bale in a Champions League lineup for Tottenham next term.

Follow @spursodyssey