New Tottenham Hotspur forward Gareth Bale revealed that the prospect of playing under manager Jose Mourinho was instrumental in scripting his blockbuster return to the club. 

Bale, a four-time UEFA Champions League winner, completed a year-long loan move from Spanish champions Real Madrid on Saturday, ending a seven-year stay at the Bernabeu.

After holding talks with Mourinho regarding his role, the 31-year-old said he is looking forward to forming a formidable attacking partnership with Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son.

“He’s spoken to me about a few positions that he would like me to play and obviously I’m happy with that,” Bale told BT Sport. 

Lauding the manager, who had tried to sign the Welshman on previous occasions, Bale added, “He was a big reason for me coming back here, he’s a household name and a winner. He’s the perfect fit for Tottenham. We need to win trophies and he knows how to do that better than anyone.” 

Looking forward to partnering with Kane to Son, the former Southampton winger said, “Harry’s done incredibly well since he burst onto the scene and scored a lot of goals. To play with him and Son is an exciting prospect for all of us. If we’re all pushing in the same direction it could be a very exciting season.”

However, Bale, who injured his knee playing for Wales this month, is not likely to be match fit before the October international break.

“I need to get fully fit,” he said. “I haven’t trained since the Wales camp so I need to get on the training pitch. Hopefully, I can hit the ground running in my first game, whenever that may be.”

Hence, his second spell at Spurs may start against West Ham in the Premier League on October 17 at the earliest.