Wales forward has respect and deep affection for the club and is delighted to be back as fans eagerly await his second debut
Gareth Bale wanted to leave Tottenham, but not like this. It was the long and stressful summer of 2013, Real Madrid were making their moves, supremely confident that they would get their man, and Team Bale felt they had to harden their exit strategy.
Whoever said what to whom is unclear but the upshot was that Bale changed. He had played and scored in Spurs’s opening friendly at Swindon in mid-July and it would be his last involvement for the team. He developed a gluteal injury followed by a foot problem, which ruled him out of the rest of the pre-season programme, but behind the scenes, to put it bluntly, he became a pain in the backside.
Related: José Mourinho backs Gareth Bale to show Real Madrid what they are missing
Bale did not fully realise the effect that walking back into a warm, welcoming environment would have, one source said
Related: Gareth Bale escapes wilderness with every chance of redemption at Spurs
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