IN THE LONG and glamorous history of world record transfer fees, it may be tempting to suggest players’ careers have been marked by the weight of expectation.
Yet, in reality, of the 43 times the record has been broken, few can be counted as outright failures.
Sure, the likes of Denílson and Kaká failed to live up to their lofty price tags – and names such as Gianluigi Lentini, Ronaldo, and Diego Maradona were hindered by injury – but most have proved worthy.
Despite the first half of his season being plagued by scrutiny, assimilation and niggles, 24-year-old Gareth Bale looks on course to live up to his world record £80 million fee.
With 21 goals and 18 assists in 43 games – including a blistering winner against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final – Bale has helped fire Real Madrid to the next level under Carlo Ancelotti.
Complimenting Cristiano Ronaldo with his breakneck speed on the break, it’s easy to forget this physical specimen was once a delicate 16-year-old under George Burley at Southampton.
“Gareth was one of the players that the youth system all thought the world of,” Burley told TheScore.ie. “They believed he was going to become a real top player. At the time, Southampton had a fantastic youth policy with a number of talented players: Theo Walcott, Adam Lallana, and David McGoldrick. But, as a youngster, Gareth had the greatest potential, with his energy and fantastic left foot.
“He was a special talent and, at that time, was playing at left-back and developed from there. He came from a very good family, who supported him all the time. Gareth was a quiet, level-headed lad, but always had confidence in his own ability. He wasn’t loud, but had that assuredness and cockiness. He knew he was a good player, and most good players do, but he had the confidence to take it on a stage.
“Gareth developed quickly and I put him into the first-team when he was 16. If you’re good enough, you’re old enough – whether you’re 15, 16 or 17. I’ve been fortunate in my managerial career in that I’ve given a number of 17-year-olds their opportunities, when they’ve pushed on. I had it previously at Ipswich and Derby, with Kieron Dyer, Richard Wright, Darren Bent, Titus Bramble, Tom Huddlestone, and Darren Ambrose all being 17.
“But, if you were to ask me who was the greatest young player I ever worked with, Gareth had that sheer quality.
“You see a lot of young players who have ability and look fantastic in playing lovely little passes, but Gareth had an end product with his crossing ability and free-kicks. Later on, he pushed on with his goalscoring ability and he never looked back. He loves football and I remember speaking to John Toshack, when Gareth was 17. He had just played a full senior international for Wales after playing a Championship game with Southampton. I thought it was a lot for him, but he took it in, played full internationals, and still played every week in the Championship. It was tremendous.”
The Championship served as the perfect environment to toughen Bale up, with the teenager — who often dictated Southampton’s play from left-back – soon finding himself targeted by the opposition.
Undeterred, Bale thrived under Burley and within just 12 months of making his debut, Southampton received offers from both Manchester United and Tottenham.
“They man marked him in the Championship, because teams did their homework. Obviously, they saw Gareth flying forward from left-back, putting crosses into the box, and creating quality opportunities. So, they’d decide to put a right winger on Gareth to try and stop him playing. But, that wasn’t a problem for Gareth. He always had the energy and physical ability to get forward from left-back. Every challenge that came to him, he pushed on. I still feel he’d be the best left-back in the world, even though he’s one of the best players in the world as a forward. It’s great to see that he’s matured physically and has gotten even stronger and quicker.
“I wanted Gareth to stay another year. I remember sitting down in the office with his family and they were tremendously supportive of Gareth. I knew he was going to be a top player, but going to Tottenham at that stage might have been a risk. It took him six months or even longer to actually establish himself at Tottenham, but he did. It’s not easy moving to a top-class Premier League club, particularly if you end up stuck on the sidelines for six months or a year. Richard Wright went to Arsenal and was kicking his heels, and that didn’t help him.
“In 2008, I was Scotland’s manager and happened to see Gareth play: he didn’t look the same player, to be honest, in the early stages. Football, and life, is a test of character and Gareth came out of it. Sometimes, if you’re a top-class player and move too early to a top club, it can end badly. The stage had to be right for him as young player and that six-month period was a big test for him. But his background and family stood him in good stead to push on from there.”
Long after the ridicule over his hair clips and not being on a winning side for 24 league games, Bale thrived in an advanced free role at Tottenham – leading to that world record move to Real Madrid last summer.
Pale and meek, Bale, at times, seems an unlikely Galáctico but as well as possessing an incredible physique and skill set, the Welshman’s mental strength has been key to his success at Madrid.
“In hindsight, it would be easy to say that when I saw him at 17 I could say, ‘Yeah, I knew he’d become one of the best players in the world.’ You get stages and tests throughout your career: can you push on and can you cope with the big stages? It’s not just about ability; the mental side is so important. When moving to a bigger club, you can have all the ability but if you can’t cope with the pressure…Gareth has showed, at Tottenham and Real Madrid, he has both. All credit to him, he’s done fantastically well.
“I don’t think the world record fee has hindered him, because he moved to a club that already had Cristiano Ronaldo. Gareth will think, ‘I’m not as good as Ronaldo: I want to be as good as Ronaldo.’ I think everyone appreciates that Ronaldo is the top man and that’s helped Gareth in taking a bit of pressure off him. He will take over from Ronaldo, no doubt about it. The fee hasn’t come into the equation and I think he’s gotten better. He’s still maturing and getting stronger. He’s had a fantastic first season.”
