Gareth Bale. Frank Worrall
Skacel and curled a superb shot into the top right corner. It fired Saints forward…’
As if that in itself were not a story worthy of Roy of the Rovers, Gareth then trumped it by scoring in his next match as well, opening the scoring in the 2-0 home win over Coventry City on 61 minutes, just a minute earlier than the goal he had scored at Derby.
He then had to wait until November for his next goal, in the 1-1 draw at Sunderland. But it was a vital strike, coming in the last minute and saving Saints from defeat. The BBC summed it up in this way, ‘Bale drove in a powerful shot from the edge of the area which appeared to take a deflection off Steve Caldwell on its way past Darren Ward. Southampton controlled the majority of the game but until Bale’s goal had been defied by Ward, who produced a string of saves to frustrate the visitors.’
Saints boss Burley did not single Gareth out in his post match analysis. But a sure sign of the impact the Welsh wonder boy was starting to have came from the post- match comments of Burley’s Sunderland counterpart, the enigmatic but legendary former Manchester United captain Roy Keane. Keano said, ‘I’m disappointed we conceded a goal so late in the game, but we played a lot better at Norwich last week and lost, so that’s football. The only way I thought they would find a way past Darren Ward was like that. The last player you want the ball to fall to is Gareth Bale. He’s an exceptional player.’
It was a telling tribute from a man who, as a player, had won every honour going in the domestic and international club game: if anyone knew what a star of the future looked like, it would surely be Roy Keane.
Gareth also netted in the 4-2 triumph at Hull City and the 2-1 win over Norwich as Christmas 2006 loomed. The goal at Hull typified why Gareth was becoming renowned, and feared, in equal measure. Yes, it was another of his 25-yard thunderbolts that gave the keeper no chance. The win would also be the final nail in the coffin of under-pressure Hull boss Phil Parkinson – he would be forced out the following week.
Gareth also notched a similarly outstanding goal against Norwich – this time from 30 yards out. Again, his talent was applauded by the opposition. The official Norwich website, www.canaries.co.uk purred, ‘Promising teenager Gareth Bale levelled before the break with a sensational 30-yard free-kick… a brilliant curling effort into the top corner which gave Gallacher no chance…’
Two days before Christmas Gareth chalked up another first – but this time it was an unwanted gift, his first yellow card, for unsporting behaviour, in the 3-3 draw at Sheffield Wednesday. It would be the first of four yellow cards in his debut full season.
The dawn of 2007 saw Gareth maintain his place in the Southampton first team as he continued to deliver the goods, defending and raiding down that left flank. Just as his efforts were being applauded by his rivals, so they were not going unnoticed by the media either. The papers were full of praise for him and even BBC Match of the Day commentator John Motson allowed himself to get carried away by the euphoria – publicly linking him with a move to Manchester United.
And it wasn’t as if his talent was unnoticed within his own club. ‘Gareth has come on in the last few months and filled out a bit,’ then Saints captain Claus Lundekvam said. ‘He is just going to get better and better. He is playing like someone who has been around for a long time. He can be as good as he wants to be.’
That was evident in April 2007 when he was honoured at the Football League awards ceremony in London – taking the Young Player of the Year prize.
But with such talent came, much to the anguish of all Saints fans, the inevitable Premier League predators. Ferguson and United were certainly keen, but did not back up their interest with hard cash – much, it would emerge a few years later, to Sir Alex’s eternal regret.
No, it would be Tottenham Hotspur and then boss Martin Jol who would firm up their interest with enough money to twist Southampton’s arm in May 2007. In total, Gareth made 45 appearances for Southampton, scoring five goals, before moving to Spurs for an initial fee of £5 million.
His last match for the Saints was the 2-1 home defeat by Derby; ironically the team against whom ten months earlier Gareth had grabbed his first goal as a professional player. It was a match that could have led Saints towards the Premier League – the first leg of their Championship playoff semi-final. But two goals from Steven Howard sent Saints into despair and their anguish was compounded when Gareth was substituted on 56 minutes after picking up an injury. He was later seen leaving St Mary’s on crutches and would miss the second leg at Pride Park, which finished with Derby marching into the playoff final courtesy of a 4-3 penalty triumph after brave Saints had won 3-2 on the day, leaving the aggregate scores level at 4-4.
It was a terribly sad way for Gareth to end his Saints career. But in ten short months he had transformed from a 17-year-old with glittering potential to a 17-year-old who was set for the Premier League – albeit at a different football club than Southampton.
It had certainly been a roller-coaster journey for the boy who had almost been released by Saints two years earlier – and the twists and turns would continue to come fast and furious as he now headed for his new home at White Hart Lane, in North London.
With Manchester United in the frame, Tottenham knew they had to act decisively and fast if they were to secure the services of Gareth Bale. So Spurs manager Martin Jol and the club’s sporting director Damien Comolli quickly put together a £10 million package to signal to Saints – and Gareth – that they meant business.
While United dithered, Spurs roared in and won the day. Gareth put pen to paper on a four-year deal on May 25, 2007, just days after the rush for his signature began in earnest. ‘It’s true that Gareth was impressed by Spurs – and how much they clearly wanted him,’ says a White Hart Lane source. ‘They didn’t mess about and he appreciated that. He liked the club and what they had to offer.’
It was a blow for Fergie and United and a coup for Tottenham. They had signed the biggest prospect in British football, and on their terms. Spurs agreed to make the immediate payment of £5 million they had promised earlier, with further additional payments that could see the transfer fee rise to £10 million.
It was a snip for what they were getting; a no-brainer. Saints could probably have got more up front if they had pushed harder, but they were aware that Gareth only had one year left on his contract and that he wanted to join Spurs. After the deal went through, he said, ‘I’m just excited to be coming to a massive club like Spurs. It’s pushing forward and I want to be part of its future.’
Martin Jol had hoped to secure Bale’s signature the previous January but had been sent packing. Gareth had made it clear then that he had hopes of making the Premier League with Saints, who were in the running to make the play-offs. But when that dream died with the defeat to Derby in the play-off semis, Gareth decided to make the switch.
He said, ‘I really want to play in the Premiership. That’s very important to me and this is a fantastic opportunity. I’ve thought long and hard about it and feel the time is right to move on. I could have gone in January but I wanted to try and help Saints win promotion. I felt I owed them that and I didn’t want to move mid-season.
‘I wanted to keep my focus on learning and developing my game at a critical stage of the campaign.’
Tottenham were also delighted, of course, having seen off the competition of United and, it would later emerge, bitter local rivals Arsenal. Spurs sporting director Damien Comolli said, ‘We have been following Gareth for a long time now and have been very tenacious, so we are absolutely delighted to get him here.
‘He’s a player of great quality and, as we always say, our aim in each window is to improve the quality of the squad. He has the ideal combination to become a top, top player.’