“He toughened me up and made me one of the best players in the world” Gareth Bale list the THREE things his former Spurs coach did to make him one of the best players
There is a compelling case to be made that Gareth Bale stands as the greatest British football export in history. The Welsh winger’s achievements at Real Madrid were nothing short of extraordinary, and he accomplished it all with a flair and style that made him unforgettable. From the moment he left Jordi Alba trailing helplessly in his wake to score one of the most memorable goals in El Clasico history, to his stunning overhead kick in the 2018 Champions League final, Bale’s impact on the biggest stages of European football is undeniable.
Though his later years at Real Madrid were marked by controversies and a somewhat unusual prioritization of Wales, golf, and the club—often in that order—his statistical output during his peak years at the Bernabeu tells a different story. Bale’s contributions on the pitch were monumental, and he consistently demonstrated why he was among the elite.
During his time at Real Madrid, Bale formed a formidable attacking trio alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema. Together, they spearheaded Real’s historic achievement of becoming the first club ever to win three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles. At his best, Bale’s performances were so electrifying and decisive that it was not far-fetched to suggest he was, for a period, among the very best footballers in the world.
The praise Bale received from his peers and coaches spoke volumes about the level at which he was performing. Early on in his Real Madrid career, even the club captain Sergio Ramos admitted that few truly understood Bale’s quality before he arrived in Spain. Ramos said, “The truth is, because he was playing for a team in England that didn’t compete in the Champions League, we didn’t know a lot about him initially. But if the coach wanted him that much, he must be a great player. What surprised us was how special he actually is. We have only seen a few training sessions, but some of the things he does are unbelievable. He is incredibly fast, tricky, and the scary part is he wasn’t even fully fit yet.”
Despite the superstar teammates and legendary managers Bale worked with at Real Madrid, he has never lost sight of the person who first helped shape his talent and gave him the foundation to become the global footballing sensation he is today.
Long before the football world was fully aware of Gareth Bale’s potential, it was Harry Redknapp, the then Tottenham Hotspur manager, who recognized the young Welshman’s talent and nurtured it. Redknapp’s decision to convert Bale into a winger unlocked the explosive attacking threat that would later terrorize defenses across Europe. The seasoned manager’s belief in Bale’s ability played a crucial role in molding one of the finest British players of all time.
Bale has frequently acknowledged the impact Redknapp had on his career, recalling how the manager pushed him to develop key areas of his game and build the mental toughness needed for top-level football. Bale once said, “There were many things the manager wanted me to improve on, and he wanted me to toughen up because I was still young at the time. So I put in extra effort during training to prove I was worthy of a place in the team. He always told me, ‘Be patient, keep working hard in training, and your chance will come.’”
Whether it was Redknapp, Zinedine Zidane, or Carlo Ancelotti who influenced Bale most is a debate that might never be fully settled. Yet what remains clear is that Harry Redknapp’s early faith and guidance laid the groundwork for Gareth Bale’s rise from a promising youngster at Tottenham to a global football icon who left an indelible mark on the sport.