Jose Mourinho was very clear about what he felt Gareth Bale could achieve after re-signing him for Tottenham Hotspur back in 2020.
Tottenham pulled off a sensational loan move to bring Gareth Bale back to the football club in a move which thoroughly excited supporters.
The biggest disappointment though was the fact that Bale didn’t quite have the impact many thought he would have and it was also during the season played behind closed doors.
Mourinho and Bale didn’t quite have the best relationship together at Tottenham, although the Portugese coach seemed pretty happy with have the winger arrive in the summer of 2020.
Jose Mourinho on Gareth Bale’s Tottenham return
Jose Mourinho tipped Gareth Bale to become one of the best players in the world again following his return move to Tottenham.
The former Real Madrid star arrived with a slight injury, however, Mourinho was confident he would quickly recover given his excitement to be back in Spurs colours.
Speaking back in 2020, Mourinho told the media: “The only thing I know is that his motivation is high. He’s so happy to be with the club of his heart, he’s so happy to play for us.
“When a player has this motivation, many times you can short [reduce] the period of recovery, you can short the period of getting fit and ready to play.
“We’re more than happy to have him and help him back to a level that made him one of the best players in the world.”
Gareth Bale’s surprisingly strong Tottenham record in 2020/21
Gareth Bale actually had a surprisingly strong record during the 2020/21 season despite the feeling that his return didn’t amount to much.
| Comp | Apps | Goals | Assists |
| Premier League | 20 | 11 | 2 |
| Europa League | 10 | 3 | 1 |
| FA Cup | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| EFL Cup | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 34 | 16 | 3 |
The Tottenham legend produced 16 goals and three assists across all competitions which saw him the team’s third top scorer behind Heung-min Son with 22 and Harry Kane with 33.
