Gareth is simply unbelieva-Bale - 7M sport

Gareth is simply unbelieva-Bale



I have a say

Posted Saturday, February 26, 2011 by The Sun

Gareth is simply unbelieva-Bale
LEFT IN THE SHADE ... winger Bale has 'em trailing in his wake

GARETH BALE will one day become the best left-back in the world.

He is already the most talked about left winger in football and is my pick for the best Premier League player of the season.

Ballot papers for the Professional Footballers' Association awards go out next Tuesday and the stars of soccer will be voting for their best players.

Of course, it's going to sound biased that, as Tottenham manager, I pick one of my own lads as the best.

But in all honesty I would be saying exactly the same thing if Gareth played for Arsenal.

The lad has come on in such a dramatic way, has come so far and is showing such abilities that there can only be one winner this season.

He will develop his game in future and eventually I believe he will revert to being a left-back.

As he gets more and more well known and his game gets understood by opponents, he will find space harder to come by in order to run at teams - the way he did with Inter Milan earlier this season.

At the moment he can run, head, kick, dribble and do just about anything that's asked of him.

But, with experience, I reckon he will drop into the left-back position, which means he will be able to pick up the ball deeper in his own half and have that time and space denied more forward players.

And then I think we will really see the best of Bale. That game in Milan sums him up at present. Tottenham were 3-0 down against Inter yet, in the second half, he tormented them. Brazilian Maicon was billed as the best right-back in the world yet Gareth embarrassed him.

And with no disrespect meant to the other players at Spurs, let's face it, Gareth rescued that match for us on his own.

Just imagine what he will be able to do coming from his own area with the ball at his feet.

He's not better but he's certainly as good as Ryan Giggs was at the same age - and I'm a massive fan of Giggsy.

And Gareth has matured after having a difficult start to his career with us.

I think he went 25 or 26 games without winning for Spurs - that shows how many games we USED to lose. But he took all that on board and brought himself on and he is now vital to us.

I'm sure he's seen by the fans as the most exciting player in the Premier League at the moment.

Taking silver medal for me has to be Samir Nasri. See, I can pick an Arsenal player!

The way he has emerged at Arsenal is similar to Gareth. Arsenal used to be all about Cesc Fabregas but now it's not a one-man team over there at the Emirates.

I love Nasri's touch and his confidence on the ball now.

And I was so impressed with him when he helped France beat England at Wembley last year.

It wasn't quite the Superman show that Gareth put on against Inter but it got pretty close to it.

Nasri has emerged from the shadow of Fabregas to become a key figure in his own right for Arsene Wenger.

Taking my bronze medal has to be Charlie Adam at Blackpool. It is tough enough producing good football consistently when you're at one of the top teams, surrounded by world-class players.

But it's even more difficult when you are in a team in its first Premier League season with a tiny budget and small ground lacking the best facilities.

Adam has done this and has made a huge impact on this season.

And it is no surprise that Liverpool were interested in him.

I would have liked to have signed him in January but did not get any indication that we would be able to move at all until very late on deadline day.

The deal never happened and who knows if it ever will now?

But for sheer mental strength, leadership qualities and key goals then the Scot is right up there with the best of them this season.

And I certainly think his manager at Bloomfield Road, Ian Holloway, deserves to be Manager of the Year.

I would also like to see Barry Hearn be more involved with the running of football in this country. I was so impressed by his enthusiasm and obvious delight when his Leyton Orient got that incredible 1-1 draw with Arsenal in the FA Cup last Sunday.

It's not just about the money to him, even though he is chairman.

You could see he has a genuine affection for Orient and football. He also knows how to run things. He has a strong character and is grounded.

Hearn would be excellent to have on board trying to develop football - he talks a good game and puts a smile on your face.



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