Mourinho deals another blow to on-loan Bale at Tottenham

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 19 May 2021 15:43 BST
• 2 min read

Gareth Bale will not be used as a striker at Tottenham, manager Jose Mourinho has said of the on-loan Real Madrid star.

With Harry Kane set to miss out because of ankle issues, there had been speculation that Wales international Bale might feature as a forward.

Bale has been severely restricted in his game time since making a return to Tottenham after seven years at Real Madrid, where he ultimately fell out of favour with Zinedine Zidane.

He has been most typically used in Europe and the cups, and Mourinho has quashed any prospect of Bale getting a run in the Premier League.

“I don’t think Gareth Bale is a striker, I don’t think he likes to play as a striker,” Jose Mourinho told the media.

“It was something that we spoke when we joined us, he was very objective with me, by saying he doesn’t feel he is a left winger like he was before, he doesn’t feel like he is a No 10 like he was before, too.

“The position that he likes to play is the position where we are playing him every minute we give him, which is the right side of the attack.

“So when Gareth plays starting or coming from the bench, that’s his position in our game.”

More to come from Bale at Tottenham?

Mourinho did, however, hint that Bale could have a greater role to play in the weeks ahead.

“Bale played 90 mins in the FA Cup against Wycombe. Of course that for him is a big impact, to play 90 minutes. So it was impossible to be fresh to play a lot against Liverpool,” he explained.

“But is a crucial moment for him, he is feeling better and better and hopefully he can help us.”

Tottenham face Brighton away on Sunday, with Bale’s fate in the hands of Mourinho.