QPR boss Harry Redknapp admits it will be strange coming up against his former Tottenham protege Gareth Bale.

Redknapp wrote in The Sun: "The oddest thing of it all will be that this will be the first time that I'll be trying to STOP Gareth Bale doing all the things I used to encourage him to do.

"He is a fantastic player, a great, grounded lad from a decent family and a terrific footballer. In the season in which we terrorised Milan in the Champions League he was incredible and was up there with the best in the world.

"Lionel Messi is on another planet to everyone else in terms of talent, but maybe one day Gareth will be honoured with the Ballon D'Or.

"Mind you, Messi would need to miss the whole season with injury first!

"But you get my drift about Gareth. He is phenomenal."