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Lodatz
10 years ago
"He was a flop when he started his career."
No he wasn't. He was a 17-year-old who had not yet realized his potential, and took a couple of years to get up to his standard. That's why we DIDN'T sell him.
quikzyyy
10 years ago
Edited
"He was a 17-year-old who had not yet realized his potential, and took a couple of years to get up to his standard. That's why we DIDN'T sell him."
Nope, that wasn't the reason, Bale was firstly almost changed for Downing to 'Boro. Then he almost went to Birmingham, but 3 million were too much for Bale that days, so he stayed and fought for his place.
"He was a 17-year-old who had not yet realized his potential, and took a couple of years to get up to his standard. That's why we DIDN'T sell him."
Nope, that wasn't the reason, Bale was firstly almost changed for Downing to 'Boro. Then he almost wend to Birmingham, but 3 million were too much for Bale that days, so he stayed and fought for his place.
Lodatz
10 years ago
Edited
Middlesborough were merely trying to be cheeky, and we said no, immediately.
By the way? This was back when Bale was playing at LB.
Would anyone want to put him back at LB now? Once we shunted him up into midfield, he became fantastic.
http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2013/02/26/how-spurs-flop-bale-almost-signed-for-birmingham/
Bale deciding to stay, and fight for his place (and moving positions, no less) was all well and good, considering we'd just given him a 4-year contract the year before, but ultimately it came down to one thing: Levy decided to keep him, because his coaches told him that Bale was worth it.
That's why, as said: Bale was never a flop. He was a kid who underperformed following a long-term injury, in a position no-one would now think to put him, and with whom Tottenham Hotspur stood firm and had faith in.
Middlesborough were merely trying to be cheeky, and we said no, immediately.
By the way? This was back when Bale was playing at LB.
Would anyone want to put him back at LB now? Once we shunted him up into midfield, he became fantastic.
http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2013/02/26/how-spurs-flop-bale-almost-signed-for-birmingham/
Bale deciding to stay, and fight for his place (and moving positions, no less) was all well and good, considering we'd just given him a 4-year contract the year before, but ultimately it came down to one thing: Levy decided to keep him, because his coaches told him that Bale was worth it.
That's why, as said: Bale was never a flop. He was a kid who underperformed following a long-term injury, in a position no-one would now think to put him, and with whom Tottenham Hotspur stood firm and had faith in.
From Spurs reject to world-record sale
October 2009
Plagued by injuries and having the dubious honour of playing in a record 24 straight matches without a win,20 year-old Gareth Bale, who was thought to be cursed, is labelled a flop and subjected to a paltry £3 million offer from Birmingham just two years after Tottenham bought him from Southampton for what ended up being a £7 million fee. Spurs cannily bought out his sell-on clause for around £3m, a move which seemed good business for Southampton but ultimately cost them tens of millions of pounds.
May 2010
After winning the Premier League player of the month award for April, Bale is rewarded with a new four-year contract for helping Spurs earn a Champions League qualification spot with match winning goals against Arsenal and Chelsea in a three-day span.
October 2010
Having been moved from left back to left wing earlier in the season, Bale and Spurs find themselves down 4-0 and playing with 10 men by half-time at Inter Milan in the Champions League group stage. In the second half, Bale scores his first professional hat trick, completely destroying UEFA defender of the year Maicon in the process. Though they still lose 4-3 to the reigning Champions of Europe, Spurs win the return match 3-1 and top their group before eventually being eliminated in the quarter-finals. Bale is named PFA Player of the Year at the end of the season, and his performances effectively ruin the career of former Brazil right-back Maicon.
May 2013
Named both the PFA Young Player of the Year and Player's Player of the Year at the end of a 2012/13 season in which he scored 26 goals across all competitions, Bale has been the subject of on and off interest from Real
Madrid for months. Doubts are raised as to whether he's worth the £50 million fee the Spanish club were supposedly willing to pay for him.
September 2013
Bale is sold to Real Madrid for between £77 million and £85 million, making him either the most expensive or second most expensive player of all time behind new team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo. The astronomical fee prompts widespread debate about whether he or anyone is worth that much money. Many say he definitely isn't worth it. The combination of his price tag and initial injury struggles prompt intense scrutiny on him and Cristiano Ronaldo himself even asks everyone to back off.
October 2013
Bale's first few months in Madrid are a bit of a nightmare, his flashes of brilliance interrupted by injury. He is rushed back for the Clasico defeat to Barcelona, and is subbed off on the hour mark. Barcelona's bigsigning Neymar, meanwhile, shines in the match, leading to mockery of Bale, who was supposed to have been more expensive.That mockery comes back to haunt the Catalans, when it later transpires Neymar cost a lot more than initially though, before the Brazilian's form dips remarkably.
April 2014
Cementing himself as one of Real Madrid's most dangerous players after getting his injury troubles under control back, Bale scores a season defining goal with an incredible burst of speed in the closing minutes of the Copa Del Rey final against Barcelona. His goal wins the match and Real Madrid's first trophy in nearly two seasons.
May 2014
Bale misses several excellent chances throughout regular time of the Champions League final against Atletico Madrid, eliciting jokes and mockery. An injury-time equalizer from Sergio Ramos sends it to extra time and Bale scores the winner in the 110th minute of a match that would end 4-1 in Real Madrid's favour. Bale's goal in his first Champions League final wins the club's long promised 10th European Cup, La Decima. He finishes the season with 22 goals and 16 assists in 44 appearances across all competitions.
From Spurs reject to world-record sale
October 2009 —
Plagued by injuries and having the dubious honour of playing in a record
24 straight matches without a win, 20-year-old Gareth Bale, who was thought to be cursed, is labelled a flop and subjected to a paltry £3 million offer from Birmingham
just two years after Tottenham bought him from Southampton for what
ended up being a £7 million fee. Spurs cannily bought out his sell-on
clause for around £3m, a move which seemed good business for Southampton
but ultimately cost them tens of millions of pounds.
May 2010 — After
winning the Premier League player of the month award for April, Bale is
rewarded with a new four-year contract for helping Spurs earn a
Champions League qualification spot with match winning goals against Arsenal and Chelsea in a three-day span.
October 2010 —
Having been moved from left back to left wing earlier in the season,
Bale and Spurs find themselves down 4-0 and playing with 10 men by
half-time at Inter Milan in the Champions League group stage. In the second half, Bale scores his first professional hat trick, completely destroying UEFA defender of the year Maicon in the process.
Though they still lose 4-3 to the reigning Champions of Europe, Spurs
win the return match 3-1 and top their group before eventually being
eliminated in the quarter-finals. Bale is named PFA Player of the Year
at the end of the season, and his performances effectively ruin the
career of former Brazil right-back Maicon.
May 2013 — Named
both the PFA Young Player of the Year and Player's Player of the Year at
the end of a 2012/13 season in which he scored 26 goals across all
competitions, Bale has been the subject of on and off interest from Real
Madrid for months. Doubts are raised as to whether he's worth the £50 million fee the Spanish club were supposedly willing to pay for him.
September 2013 —
Bale is sold to Real Madrid for between £77 million and £85 million,
making him either the most expensive or second most expensive player of
all time behind new team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo. The astronomical fee prompts widespread debate about whether he or anyone is worth that much money. Many say he definitely isn't worth it. The combination of his price tag and initial injury struggles prompt intense scrutiny on him and Cristiano Ronaldo himself even asks everyone to back off.
October 2013 — Bale's
first few months in Madrid are a bit of a nightmare, his flashes of
brilliance interrupted by injury. He is rushed back for the Clasico
defeat to Barcelona, and is subbed off on the hour mark. Barcelona's big
signing Neymar,
meanwhile, shines in the match, leading to mockery of Bale, who was
supposed to have been more expensive. That mockery comes back to haunt
the Catalans, when it later transpires Neymar cost a lot more than
initially though, before the Brazilian's form dips remarkably.
April 2014 — Cementing himself as one of Real Madrid's most dangerous players after getting his injury troubles under control back, Bale
scores a season defining goal with an incredible burst of speed in the
closing minutes of the Copa Del Rey final against Barcelona. His goal wins the match and Real Madrid's first trophy in nearly two seasons.
May 2014 — Bale
misses several excellent chances throughout regular time of the
Champions League final against Atletico Madrid, eliciting jokes and mockery. An injury-time equalizer from Sergio Ramos
sends it to extra time and Bale scores the winner in the 110th minute
of a match that would end 4-1 in Real Madrid's favour. Bale's goal in
his first Champions League final wins the club's long promised 10th
European Cup, La Decima. He finishes the season with 22 goals and 16 assists in 44 appearances across all competitions.