Bale opens up on his potential role under Mourinho at Spurs

Gareth Bale is confident he still has a lot to offer Tottenham and opened up on his potential role in Jose Mourinho’s line-up.

Bale has returned to Tottenham on a season-long loan agreement after a seven-year spell at Real Madrid. His arrival has created an immense wave of excitement in north London, with fans hopeful of another impressive spell.

Emulating those performances during his first stint with the Lilywhites, however, may not be possible. Gareth is no longer the same 24-year-old that left in a €101m world-record deal in 2013. He’s now in his thirties and a different player, having suffered several problematic injuries in recent seasons.

One of the key traits that the Welshman stood out for most during his first stint in London was his sensational pace and power that enabled him to breeze past English defenses like a blur.

“I’m not the 20-year-old who sprints 90 yards down the touchline every two seconds!” Bale admitted to Sky Sports.

“As you get older you realize you have to manage yourself a little bit more and pick the right moments. You learn the game more. When you are younger, you want to impress and go at 100 percent all the time.

“But when you have the experience you can manage yourself, manage the game and manage the situations you find yourself in.”

While the four-time Champions League winner’s return has created a huge buzz, Jose Mourinho hasn’t disclosed how he’ll use him.

Rumors have suggested the Spurs coach could deploy a 3-4-3 formation to include Bale and fellow Real Madrid signing Sergio Reguilon in his line-up.

When quizzed on his potential role, Bale replied: “[I’m happy to play] anywhere across the front. I’m comfortable on the right where l have played most of my career, behind the striker where l have played a lot, and I’ve played on the left a lot.”

Bale isn’t expected to make his second debut for Spurs until the end of the next international break in mid-October.