Bale: I Want To Bring Winning Mentality To Tottenham
Gareth Bale hopes his trophy-winning experience at Real Madrid can create a winning mentality at Tottenham
Gareth Bale wants to translate the winning mentality he developed at Real Madrid to Tottenham and help the club end their wait for silverware.
Tottenham announced on Saturday that Bale had returned to the club on a season-long loan from Madrid, whom he joined from Spurs in 2013 for what was at the time a world-record fee of £85million (€100m).
During his seven seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu, the 31-year-old winger won the Champions League four times and LaLiga on two occasions.
Spurs have only lifted one trophy since the turn of the millennium – the 2007-08 EFL Cup – and Bale, who is not expected to be fit to play until after the October international break, hopes he can end their drought under Jose Mourinho.
"It's nice to be back. It's such a special club to me, it's where I made my name. What an amazing club and amazing fans, just incredible to be back," said Bale in an official club interview.
"Hopefully now I can get some match fitness and get under way and really help the team and hopefully win trophies.
"It's such a special club. I always thought when I did leave that one day I would love to come back. The opportunity now has arisen. I feel like it's a good fit, it's a good time for me. I'm hungry, I'm motivated, I want to do well for the team and I can't wait to get started.
"By going to Madrid, winning trophies and going far with the national team I feel like I have that winning mentality of how to win trophies. You don't realise it until your there and in those situations in finals, knowing how to deal with the situation, the nerves, the pressure.
"That all goes with experience, so hopefully I can bring that to the dressing room, bring a bit more belief to everybody that we can win a trophy. The target is to do that this season – not to just win one but to be fighting on every front possible.
"I want to bring that mentality here back to Tottenham. I was speaking with the chairman [Daniel Levy] about the past and what we did to get the club to the next level and since I've left the club's just been building and growing. The stadium is incredible, the training ground has got even better since I was here last.
"It's an exciting time for everybody here. The club continues to progress every year, which is great. I want to contribute to that again and try to get us to the next level, which is winning a trophy.
"I know I keep saying it, but it's such an important thing for this club to win trophies. That's what we all want to do as players, we want to win trophies in our careers. To be doing that at Tottenham now would be a dream come true."
Spurs announced Bale's return shortly after confirming the signing of Sergio Reguilon from Madrid.
