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Wales striker Gareth Bale “looks happier” than ever, according to Tottenham Hotspur manager José Mourinho.
The statement will be welcomed by Wales fans in a season in which fitness issues have led to questioning of Bale’s future as a player.
“Lately it has been good,” Mourinho said.
The Spurs coach added: “He looks confident. In training you can see that he regains confidence in the way he takes his shots.”
That confidence came to the fore as Bale shot during Spurs’ 4-0 Europa League win over Wolfsberger midweek with the Welshman having inspired them to a 4-1 away win against the same rival six days earlier.
Those efforts came after Bale’s agent Jonathan Barnett suggested the former Southampton player was “towards the end of his career”.
Since then, the 31-year-old’s form has shown signs of improving, prompting speculation that Mourinho could include Bale in his starting team for Sunday’s Premier League game against Burnley.
Bale is on loan for the season at Spurs after falling out of favor at Real Madrid, where fitness issues plagued him in recent seasons.
Wales will begin their qualifying rounds for the 2022 World Cup in Belgium on Wednesday 24 March and Mourinho says Bale has started to show mental freedom following his injury problems.
“I think that the mental is always a consequence of the physical,” said the Portuguese.
“If a player feels very good, if he is playing 100% and if the sensations are all good, there are no psychological problems, no fears or barriers.
“When you have small worries and especially when you have a recent history of injuries, it is normal to have some fears and these fears have a consequence. But lately it has been good.
“It’s just a question of how many minutes he can play and how many days he needs to recover between games. He seems happier than ever.”
Mourinho added: “You could see it from his goal on Wednesday. It was a confident shot. A player with fear or negative feelings would never have made that kind of shot. To hit the ball that way, I think the hit means a lot.
“It means freedom. It means freedom in relation to the brain muscle. For this you have to be in good condition. He is in the best condition since he arrived.”
Mourinho’s point of view stands in stark contrast to the irritation he showed when Bale withdrew from an FA Cup trip to Everton despite a post on his social media saying he had enjoyed a good training session.
Mourinho said: “A very experienced player knows his body better than anyone.
“There is no coach, no physical trainer, no sports scientist, no doctor who knows more than a very experienced player, especially a player who has had years of small problems, bigger problems, but situations that have had an influence and an impact. in the last two years of his career.
“We trust his experience and analysis. And everything with him is done with a great participation of everyone. Because everyone wants the best for him because in the end, the best for him is the best for Tottenham.”
