Tottenham Hotspur fans look back on Gareth Bale’s career in north London with an unrivalled fondness and appreciation for a player who was truly exceptional.
Iconic moments of world class genius did not arrive in fleeting patches for Bale, they arrived with a regularity which served to indicate the enormity of his talent.
His late thunderbolt strike at Upton Park which sealed a dramatic 3-2 victory over West Ham is undoubtedly up there with the most iconic moments in his Spurs career, but it’s fair to say his hat-trick at the San Siro is a performance which will remain entrenched into the hearts of supporters for a generation, even if it wasn’t enough to clinch a point.
Bale would later go on to exact sweet revenge by providing Peter Crouch and Roman Pavyluchenko with a goal apiece in the reverse fixture just two weeks later, and it’s the spirit of the Lilywhites legend which Son Heung-min must discover to inspire another priceless home victory over the Nerazzurri.
Son may be right-footed but, putting that one functional difference aside, he possesses a skill set which closely resembles that donned by Bale, as he showcased on Saturday evening.
The manner in which Son burst beyond Jorginho and David Luiz served to revive memories of lung-bursting Bale charges down the field, just days before the Italian giants set foot in London, and the timing of his confidence boosting individual strike was perfect for the home side.
If Tottenham are to beat Inter Milan tonight and put themselves in a promising position to move into the next round of the competition they will need at least one player to dissect a stubborn defensive unit, and in Son Pochettino is blessed with a dynamic talent who can repeat Bale’ heroics more than eight years later.
The stage is set for the South Korea international to join Bale in Tottenham folklore at Wembley.
Tottenham fans – thoughts? Let us know below!
