Mourinho sends stern warning to Bale over lack of Spurs playing time

The Welshman had hoped a return to familiar surroundings would rekindle his form but he has been unable to shake off fitness issues.

Gareth Bale must earn his chances at Tottenham, says Jose Mourinho who is against simply handing the player minutes on the pitch.

Things have not gone according to the scripts for Bale who was expected to get back to his best after joining Tottenham on loan from Real Madrid at the start of the season.

Out of Tottenham’s 18 fixtures in the Premier League so far, he has participated in a mere four with three of those appearances coming off the bench. In total, he has played 12 times so far this season.

Consistency issues and fitness problems remain the stumbling blocks for the 31-year-old as he struggles to make an impact in the team in which he was once a star player.

Bale made a cameo appearance in Spurs’ 5-0 trashing of Marine in FA Cup third-round on January 10 and could also be involved in the match against Wycombe on Monday.

“I cannot give players minutes, minutes on the pitch is not something I can give, so I’m not going in this direction,” Mourinho said, as per Sky Sports.

“We all know the difficulties he had for a couple seasons, we all know that he arrived injured, we all know that even this season (has been) a little bit up and down with small things.

“The most important thing for him is to be consistent, training without any problems and when a player is consistent in training, high intensity without any kind problems then the player is ready.

“Not to be given minutes, but is ready to earn minutes, and that for me is a difference.

“If he feels that the week that he’s had has had a positive impact on him and, on his confidence, he will play.”