Gareth Bale has returned to Tottenham on a season-long loan deal.
The Welshman developed into one of the Premier League’s shining stars during his stint at Spurs before heading to Real Madrid seven years ago for a then world-record fee of £85.3million.
His early years at Tottenham were blighted by injuries and a lack of clarity over where he was best suited, while his first victory as a starter in the top flight came at the 23rd time of asking in January 2010.
Bale quickly kicked on, as later that year he bagged a hat-trick against Inter Milan at San Siro, with Spurs losing 4-3 despite his efforts, while he was subsequently integral to a famous Tottenham win over the reigning European champions at White Hart Lane.
In his final season before moving to Spain, he scored 21 times in 33 top-flight appearances – the first time he had reached double figures – to collect a glut of individual honours.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look back at Bale’s time with Tottenham in pictures.
