Joe Hart says Gareth Bale is starting to have an influence on and off the pitch
Gareth Bale is working his way back to his best after scoring against Wycombe Wanderers and completing his first full 90 minutes since returning to Tottenham last summer, according to Joe Hart.
Bale arrived on loan from Real Madrid with injuries and has struggled to reach full fitness, but his display and goal in the 4-1 FA Cup win at Wycombe on Monday night showed what he can do.
And Hart said that as well as his undoubted ability, the Welsh superstar has brought a winning mentality to the club.
Asked about Bale’s influence in the dressing room, the former England keeper replied: “As you’d expect, he’s been there and done it.
“For a club trying to do things, I think it’s important to have guys that have been there and won and can reference what it takes. We talk about it a lot but we’re a team that wants to win. There’s two teams winning a lot – Manchester City and Liverpool – and there’s seven or eight teams including us trying to win. So we’ve got to find different ways of winning.”
Bale can play a big part once he gets fully fit and firing, added Hart.
“We always knew it was going to be a project with him and he fully understands that. He’s here to help the team win and he’s demonstrated that on the pitch on Monday night and on a few other occasions. He’s also doing it behind the scenes. Gaz’s obviously had his injuries but he knows how to look after himself and when he’s fit he’s going to help our team.”
Spurs face a trip to Everton in the FA Cup 5th round, but were pushed all the way by Wycombe, before finally winning 4-1
“Credit to Wycombe, I thought they played really well, made it difficult for us, scored their chance,” said Hart.
“But I think we played well. They’ve had a difficult couple of weeks with Covid but our bench, our power and our fitness really shone through.”
Spurs now face Liverpool on Thursday in the Premier League and Hart said they are out for revenge after losing at Anfield before Christmas.
“We feel the same as we did going into that last game. How the 90 minutes plays out depends on two quality teams against each other. We know we can win it and they know they can win it.”
