Tottenham assistant coach Kevin Bond admits Gareth Bale is now back to his very best.

Bond has kept a close eye on Bale's progress since he first saw the winger come through Southampton's youth ranks and has been impressed with his performances over the last 18 months.

"He's on top of his form, you can see he is full of confidence at the moment," Bond said.

"He is improving, he has done terrific and I think there is still more to come from him and he wants to improve as well.

"We were with him when he was at Southampton and we always thought he was a fantastic prospect.

"Then he had a difficult period when he first came here. He found it difficult to get in the side. He tried to get in at left-back but couldn't get a game there and now he seems to have evolved.

"Now he has a little bit more freedom.

"He has added to his game. He has a bit of variation, he comes inside a bit. It helps him and makes it difficult for opponents to pin him down.

"He has always been a good player he has kicked on in the last year or so."