When I’m happy, I normally play well: Hat-trick hero Bale

May 04, 2021 04:54 am

Gareth Bale’s stunning hat-trick earned Tottenham Hotspur a 4-0 win over relegated Sheffield United to keep them in the hunt for a top-four finish in the English Premier League yesterday morning (Singapore time).

The Welshman scored his first EPL treble since 2012 with Son Heung-min bagging Spurs’ other goal as they moved up to fifth, five points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.

Bale, who is on loan from Real Madrid, appeared to take a dig at former Spurs manager Jose Mourinho, saying: “ I just needed to play games and get a run of games and I’m doing that now. So I’m happy, and when I’m happy, I normally play well...

“I feel like we are taking a step in the right direction and playing more like the Tottenham way.” The 31-year-old has eight goals from his last eight EPL games and 14 in all competitions.

Eight of Bale’s 14 EPL appearances under Mourinho were as a substitute, with the Portuguese criticising the Real man’s fitness and application.