With Manchester United in the frame, Tottenham knew they had to act decisively and fast if they were to secure the services of Gareth Bale. So Spurs manager Martin Jol and the club’s sporting director Damien Comolli quickly put together a £10 million package to signal to Saints – and Gareth – that they meant business.
While United dithered, Spurs roared in and won the day. Gareth put pen to paper on a four-year deal on May 25, 2007, just days after the rush for his signature began in earnest. ‘It’s true that Gareth was impressed by Spurs – and how much they clearly wanted him,’ says a White Hart Lane source. ‘They didn’t mess about and he appreciated that. He liked the club and what they had to offer.’
It was a blow for Fergie and United and a coup for Tottenham. They had signed the biggest prospect in British football, and on their terms. Spurs agreed to make the immediate payment of £5 million they had promised earlier, with further additional payments that could see the transfer fee rise to £10 million.
It was a snip for what they were getting; a no-brainer. Saints could probably have got more up front if they had pushed harder, but they were aware that Gareth only had one year left on his contract and that he wanted to join Spurs. After the deal went through, he said, ‘I’m just excited to be coming to a massive club like Spurs. It’s pushing forward and I want to be part of its future.’
Martin Jol had hoped to secure Bale’s signature the previous January but had been sent packing. Gareth had made it clear then that he had hopes of making the Premier League with Saints, who were in the running to make the play-offs. But when that dream died with the defeat to Derby in the play-off semis, Gareth decided to make the switch.
He said, ‘I really want to play in the Premiership. That’s very important to me and this is a fantastic opportunity. I’ve thought long and hard about it and feel the time is right to move on. I could have gone in January but I wanted to try and help Saints win promotion. I felt I owed them that and I didn’t want to move mid-season.
‘I wanted to keep my focus on learning and developing my game at a critical stage of the campaign.’
Tottenham were also delighted, of course, having seen off the competition of United and, it would later emerge, bitter local rivals Arsenal. Spurs sporting director Damien Comolli said, ‘We have been following Gareth for a long time now and have been very tenacious, so we are absolutely delighted to get him here.
‘He’s a player of great quality and, as we always say, our aim in each window is to improve the quality of the squad. He has the ideal combination to become a top, top player.’
And even United veteran Ryan Giggs paid tribute to Gareth – hiding his own disappointment that Bale had not joined United – and predicting he would be a major success in the Premier League. Giggsy said of his fellow Welshman, ‘He has talent, temperament and should not have any problems. My advice for Gareth is to just carry on with what he is doing, that is why clubs have been interested in him.
‘It has been totally his own decision where he goes, he has plenty of advice I am sure. But a talent like that deserves to be in the Premiership…he has all the attributes to be a top player. He has a good attitude, good behaviour and the way he conducts himself suggests he is also mature.’
Giggsy, a Welsh national team-mate of Gareth, was also convinced he would be a success in the Premier League. He said, ‘Gareth’s a great talent. When he first came into the Welsh squad he took to it like a duck to water and just watching him in training and his previous games for us you can tell he is a fantastic player.
‘It’s a tough jump from the Championship to the Premiership but I’m sure he will relish it because he’s just world class and he would have the best stage in the world to show off his talents.’
Gareth was given the No. 37 shirt on his arrival at White Hart Lane and settled in quickly, making his debut in the pre-season friendly against Irish side St Patrick’s. There was a certain amount of panic on the Spurs bench when he limped off towards the end of a 1-0 win with what was initially diagnosed as a thigh problem, but later appeared to have been simply a dead leg.
He was certainly fit and raring to go for his competitive first start – and it didn’t come much bigger than Manchester United away in the opening match of the new 2007/08 Premier League season. Gareth’s mum and dad Frank and Debbie sat proudly in the Old Trafford stands as their son finally began his career in the big-time.
But their pride and Gareth’s own joy would be tinged not only by the 1-0 defeat but also, as time went by, the unpalatable fact that it was the first game in what would become known as ‘the Bale jinx’. It was the beginning of the longest run of games by any Premier League player without being on the winning side – 24 appearances, over more than two seasons – and would even lead to United boss Alex Ferguson jokily suggesting to his eventual Spurs counterpart Harry Redknapp that he should flog Gareth if he planned on winning many games! Tottenham had not beaten United in 18 years prior to that opening match of the season in 2007, so it was no real shock that Gareth’s competitive debut should end in defeat (courtesy of a goal from Luis Nani). But he did enough on the left flank – setting up Ricardo Rocha for a free header from one of his free kicks – to suggest that here was a young man on the brink of something wonderful. Gareth told friends it had been a ‘great experience’ and that he had enjoyed himself, apart from the result of course.
It was what he had always dreamed of and aimed towards from those days with his local youth team and on through the academy ranks at Saints. All the hard work and sacrifice had been worthwhile: Gareth Bale was now heading only one way. To the very top.
But there would still be agonising twists and turns on the journey – in particular the injuries that would bedevil his progress and the instability at Tottenham that saw Martin Jol and his successor Juande Ramos hit the rocks before the era of Redknapp finally dawned in October 2008.
After his side’s defeat at United 14 months earlier, on August 26 2007, Jol claimed he was not under pressure and applauded Gareth and his team-mates’ efforts. Jol said, ‘I am bitterly disappointed because we absolutely deserved something from this game - maybe even the win. We just needed a bit of luck or a decision to go our way. I’m not under pressure. The chairman’s backing me and you can see today how the players are desperate to play for this team so there is no problem.’
But there was a problem as his team struggled for results. They were away again in their next Premier League clash, exiting Craven Cottage with a 3-3 draw against Fulham – a match many pundits expected them to win. For Gareth, there was consolation as he grabbed his first goal for the club, taking a pass from Robbie Keane and leaving the Cottagers’ backline for dead as he crashed the ball home on the hour. He would later tell friends it was one of the best moments of his life – but, being the perfectionist he is, was also just as disappointed they allowed the hosts to sneak a point through a last-minute equaliser by Diomansy Kamara.
Gareth was on the scoresheet again in the next Premier League encounter – but again it ended in agony. This time the grief was much worse and the pressure on Jol much greater as Spurs lost 3-1 at home to local rivals Arsenal in the middle of September 2007.
Gareth had put Spurs ahead with a fine free kick after 15 minutes but a brace from Emmanuel Adebayor and another from Cesc Fabregas condemned the Welsh wonder boy, his team-mates and the fans to a miserable weekend. It couldn’t have been worse? It was – the win also lifted the Gunners to the top of the league. The visiting Arsenal fans rubbed salt in the wounds by taunting under-pressure Jol with chants of ‘You’re getting sacked in the morning’.
He wouldn’t – but the end was not that far off. The Spurs boss conceded he was ‘very pleased’ with Gareth’s cool-headed goal, but added that he was disappointed that his men had not been able to convert other chances. Gareth himself was ‘as sick as anyone’ that Arsenal had once again secured local bragging rights.
There would be temporary relief with the 6-1 thrashing of Cypriot minnows Anorthosis Famugusta in the first round of the UEFA Cup five days later and the 2-0 dispatching of Middlesbrough in the third round of the League Cup six days after that. Gareth celebrated his third goal for the club in the win over Boro, grabbing the opener with much confidence. He was released on goal by Robbie Keane, beat one defender and then ran the ball into the net past hapless keeper Brad Jones. Tom Huddlestone wrapped up the win with a headed goal three minutes later.
Afterwards Jol tried to relieve the growing pressure on himself by pointing out that he had achieved fifth-placed finishes in his first full Premier League seasons – and claiming he could win silverware in a competition like the League Cup. He said: ‘I am in a very good position here, and that is what I deserve; I gave them a bit of success over the last couple of years – no-one could have done better.’
They were defiant words but the instability continued for the Dutchman, Gareth and the other Spurs staff as it emerged club officials had flown to Spain to sound out Seville manager Ramos about taking over. The uncertainty appeared to be taking its toll in the league campaign as Tottenham now drew 4-4 at home with Aston Villa, 2-2 at Liverpool and then crashed 3-1 at Newcastle. Gareth was injured in the clash at St James’s Park and would be sidelined for a month. It had been feared he had broken a bone in his foot after a rash challenge by Newcastle’s Geremi – but a relieved Jol said after the match, ‘We’ve scanned the injury several times and nothing is broken. There is significant bruising, it is still painful and we’ll know more once the bruising has gone down. I feel he will be fine though and will only be out for a week to 10 days.’
The Dutchman was wrong on that score…Gareth would need a month to recover, but at least it wasn’t another long-term injury. The first match he missed turned out to be Jol’s farewell after a three-year stint as boss as Spurs lost 2-1 at home to Getafe in the opening match of the UEFA Cup group stage. It was a low moment at the Lane; many fans were disturbed by the way the club had dismissed a man who was a favourite on the terraces. I am told Gareth himself was ‘saddened’ that the man who had brought him to the club was now gone.
‘I shall never forget the Spurs fans,’ Jol said as he packed his bags. Well, they would never forget him and the new man had a hard act to follow. He would have to prove himself – and quickly. Ramos was certainly not slow to move into the job…the day after Jol was sacked he resigned as coach of Seville and 24 hours later became Tottenham Hotspur manager on a four-year deal, worth £5 million a year, making him one of the top paid managers in the Premier League.
Gareth Bale would play just three games for the Spaniard in what was both men’s debut campaign at the Lane and in the Premier League. He started at left-back in the 1-1 draw at West Ham in the league on November 25, 2007, and the 3-2 win over Danish outfit Aalborg in the UEFA Cup group clash four days later. But calamity struck and despair followed hot on its heels on December 2 as Gareth was injured in the 3-2 home defeat by Birmingham in the league.
He was subbed on 75 minutes after a challenge from Fabrice Muamba left him with a foot injury. A scan showed that Gareth had suffered ligament damage to his right ankle, and the really bad news was that it would mean he would be out for at least three months. It was a devastating blow just as Gareth had cemented his place at left-back in the first team, having made 12 appearances and scored three goals.
Spurs’ sporting director Damien Comolli confirmed the situation in a statement on the club’s website a week after Gareth suffered the injury. Comolli said,
‘Gareth will now undergo an examination under anaesthesia to determine the damage sustained to the foot. The decision has been taken to bring him back slowly. Gareth is obviously disappointed to be sidelined for this length of time but he is still young and we have to do what is best for him in the long run.’
The Bale injury jinx had struck again – and it would not be the end of the matter. Worse news was to follow. In February 2008, Comolli stuck his head above the parapet once again, this time to rule Gareth out for the rest of the season. Comolli said, ‘Although the surgeon was happy with the results of the X-rays he does not anticipate Gareth playing any further part this season. We are all disappointed, but his long-term fitness is our priority.’
Gareth was also disappointed. He would miss out on a season that saw Ramos set down a marker by guiding Tottenham to Premier League safety and also taking them to their first silverware for nine years.
Of course, Gareth was delighted for his team-mates as they beat Chelsea 2-1 to lift the League Cup at the new Wembley stadium in March 2008 (they had also won the same competition by beating Leicester 1-0 back in 1999) – but it was hard not being a part of the glory day at the end of February 2008.
Still, he was an optimist and was working hard on his rehabilitation. Yes, he was determined that he would also be part of a Wembley final for his new club when he got back to full fitness – and that it wouldn’t take years to get there. He wouldn’t have to wait long for that dream to come true – just 12 months, in fact.
And there was one unexpected high note as the season drew to its close – Gareth won praise from the man who was continuing to prove himself as a managerial genius, if also a hate figure of many Tottenham fans. Yes, even though his first Premiership season had been wrecked by that foot injury, Gareth was acclaimed by former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, who included him in his Fantasy Football XI.
Mourinho, by now in charge of Serie A side Inter Milan, said he believed Bale was destined to reach the very top of world football when he recovered from his enforced lay-off. Praise indeed from the man who would the following season win the Champions League with Inter – his second success in the competition after landing it with Porto in 2005. Even in a season that had been disrupted by injury, Gareth had clearly been making waves – and special ones at that.