Bale: "Mourinho was a big reason for me coming back to Tottenham"

Gareth Bale completed his return to Tottenham Hotspur yesterday bringing an end to his seven years with Real Madrid. The Welsh winger was deemed surplus to requirements by Zinedine Zidane but Jose Mourinho has plenty of ideas and plans for Bale.

Speaking to BT Sport, Bale admitted that Mourinho was a big pull for him to return. "He’s spoken to me about a few positions that he would like me to play and obviously I’m happy with that. He was a big reason for me coming back here. He’s a household name and a winner. He’s the perfect fit for Tottenham. We need to win trophies and he knows how to do that better than anyone."

When asked about his departure from Madrid, albeit currently on loan, Bale said: "I’ve enjoyed it. I loved living there. There’s ups and downs at every club, wherever you go. The highs have been incredibly high and the lows have been very low. I enjoyed achieving what we achieved but it’s time for the next chapter in my career. I want to continue to win trophies and I want to do it with Tottenham."

Bale admits he isn't ready to start playing football just yet. "I need to get fully fit. I haven’t trained since the Wales camp so I need to get on the training pitch. Hopefully I can hit the ground running in my first game, whenever that may be."