Gareth Bale - The Story So Far

In the wake of reported interest from Tottenham I thought that the time was right for me to write an article on the highly rated left back that football fans have heard so little about.

Bale recently became Wales' youngest ever international player, he played left back in a 2-1 win for the welsh over Trinidad and Tobago. He even provided the cross for the winning goal.

His Saints' debut came in the 2-0 against Milwall at the end of last season. He gave a very assured performance and encouraged fans by bringing back memories of a young Wayne Bridge. He showed an eagerness to get forward and provide crosses from the left hand side, yet he does not seem to possess the pace of Bridge.

Despite the recent emergence of Bale it has not all been plain sailing for the young Welshman. It was recently revealed that Bale was very close to being released from the Saint's academy. Malcolm Elias, head of recruitment for the academy, told The Pink:-

'We had to make a decision by February 2005 and were still undecided at the turn of the year because he still hadn't matured physically.'

However, Bale produced the goods when it mattered in a youth team game against Norwich City. Elias told The Pink about his performance:-

'He was excellent in everything he did and the rest is history.'

Saints fans around the country will no doubt be hoping that Bale stays at Southampton despite the apparent interest of many top Premiership clubs. He is clearly an exciting prospect for the future.

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