Bale signs new deal
Published:Monday | March 21, 2011 | 12:00 AM
LONDON:
Gareth Bale signed a new 4 1/2-year contract with Tottenham on Saturday, rewarded for performances that established him as one of Europe's top players.
Dazzling displays in the Cham-pions League forced Tottenham to persistently deny that the 21-year-old Wales winger could be lured away from the club.
Having signed a new four-year deal only last May, the latest agreement contracts Bale to Spurs until 2015.
"It is great to commit to this club and hopefully we can achieve what we believe we can with this squad,'' Bale said in a statement. "I definitely believe we can challenge for a title very soon. That is why I have signed. Every year as a minimum we are aiming to qualify for the Champions League so we are definitely going in the right direction.
"We have proven in the Cham-pions League this season that we can compete with the best and we are in the last eight now and there is no reason we can't go further this season and in years to come.''
Tottenham's progress in Europe has owed much to Bale, who scored a hat-trick in a group-stage match at Inter Milan that still ended in a 4-3 loss, before he tore the European champions apart again when the London club won 3-1 at home.
Tottenham are preparing for a quarter-final with Real Madrid in their first season in the Champions League.
Bale joined Tottenham in 2007 from Southampton - where he had been teammates with Theo Walcott - for five million pounds (then $8 million), but endured a frustrating start to his north London career.
Although he scored three times in his first four starts, a series of injuries stymied his progress and he played 24 league games over two years before finally featuring on a winning side in his 25th.
He became a regular substitute until manager Harry Redknapp picked him for an FA Cup match in January 2010 and he performed well enough to keep his place even when regular left back Benoit Assou-Ekotto was fit again.
Redknapp pushed Bale forward onto the left wing, allowing him to attack without having to think so much about the defensive aspect of his game.