Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho believes he can help Gareth Bale produce career best form, it has been revealed.
Bale has joined Spurs on a season-long loan from Real Madrid, which are paying 50 per cent of wages. The Welshman choosing to return after a difficult past 18 months at Real under coach Zinedine Zidane.
The attacker is now off the mark for Spurs, scoring in victory over Brighton earlier this week. Bale heading home via a cross from Sergio Reguilon, who was sold to Spurs by Real Madrid at the same time as the Wales captain's arrival.
It marked Bale's first goal of his second spell at Spurs - and his first since his winner against Sunderland in the final match of his first spell in May, 2013.
The form Bale is showing in the early weeks of his return is defying predictions in Madrid, where the local press are now taking notice.
And a Spurs source told AS: "Mourinho does understand Gareth.
"With him he is going to look a lot like the player who signed for Madrid in 2013.
"The secret is to go little by little.
"Nobody looks at him with a magnifying glass, nobody questions him ... Everything is positive."
Indeed, such has been the news coming from Spurs Lodge that Real Madrid directors are discussing a rethink over their approach to the Bale deal.
Real Madrid are watching developments closely and inside the club it hasn't been ruled out that Bale return for the final year of his €15m-a-year contract next season.
- updated November 4
