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Gareth Bale admits that he is still in a ‘mini preseason’ after his first start since Tottenham’s return in the Europa League and warns his rivals that he will soon be ‘sharper’
- Gareth Bale continues to regain full fitness after joining Tottenham
- The Welshman says he is treating the current period as a ‘mini preseason’
- Played for 60 minutes against Standard Liege and participated in a goal
Gareth Bale is just starting his second spell as a Tottenham Hotspur player as the winger hints that he will soon be back at his best.
The Welshman played 62 minutes in Spurs’ 3-0 win over LASK in the Europa League on Thursday night, and played a cross that ended up being turned into the back of his own net by Andrés Andrade.
It was a fairly simple victory for Tottenham, but Bale looked strong and says he is treating the current period ‘like a mini preseason’ as he regains his physical form.
Gareth Bale has hinted that he will soon be back in top form for Tottenham Hotspur
“I’m a bit stiff, it’s like a mini preseason right now, I’m just trying to get up to speed, enjoying being back on the pitch and at this amazing club,” he told BT Sport.
“ When I’m fully fit, I’ll be smarter and hopefully contribute even more. ”
It was the first start since returning to Tottenham for the 31-year-old, who was often overlooked at Real Madrid in recent years.
And his appearance off the bench against West Ham on Saturday was not as happy as he wanted, as the Spurs blew a three-goal lead while he was on the field.
Bale enjoys life back at Tottenham Hotspur after signing for Real Madrid
However, boss José Mourinho refused to blame the collapse on Bale, and now, back in a place where fans are excited to see him play, he is ready to kick for more wins.
“It’s a great reason why I play well,” he said. ‘You want to be loved, appreciated, and come back here, I’ll give it my all for the shirt.’
After a series of injuries last season, José Mourinho now seems to have a wealth of talent at his disposal, and Bale may even find himself fighting for a spot.
José Mourinho now has a lot of options up front after Spurs made some signings this summer
He knows where the rotation will be this year due to the congestion of the games and said: ‘It’s a great team, it has a lot of depth and a lot of good players. Hopefully we can use that to our advantage. They will all be used this season and it’s good to have competition. ‘
In fact, it was yet another signing, Carlos Vinicius, who received many headlines during the match after having put in an excellent performance in which he did everything but get on the scoreboard.
Son Heung-Min also scored a goal, as did Lucas Moura, on a night when Tottenham proved they can still get by without Harry Kane on the field.