Gareth Bale has now explained why he turned down the opportunity to link up with Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford after he signed for Tottenham ahead of Manchester United.
The 36-year-old Welsh former winger made a name for himself at Southampton after climbing through the ranks of the Saints’ youth academy.
Gareth Bale’s exploits at Southampton saw him catch the eye of Premier League sides Manchester United and Tottenham ahead of his exit from the St Mary’s in 2007.
According to The Guardian in 2007, it was suggested that there was a ’90 per cent’ chance that Bale would sign for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side when he left Southampton.
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Carlo Ancelotti talks to Gareth Bale during the La Liga match between Real Madrid and Getafe at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in 2022 in Madrid, Spain.
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Gareth Bale breaks his silence on his decision to snub Sir Alex Ferguson and Man Utd and sign for Tottenham in 2007
Despite Manchester United’s initial links to Gareth Bale, the former Southampton player made the major switch to Tottenham when he was only a teenager.
Spurs secured the services of the former Wales international for an initial fee of £5m, with Tottenham agreeing to add-ons that would take the deal to £10m.
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Tottenham’s London rivals Arsenal were also linked with Bale at the time of his 2007 transfer, with Sir Alex Ferguson ultimately missing out on the Welshman as well.
Speaking on The Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast, Bale admitted that he felt that Spurs could offer him more regular playing time compared with the Red Devils.
“So, at Southampton, I had the choice, not the choice, but United came in for me at the time,” he said.
“Tottenham came in for me. United came in with a lower offer. Tottenham came in with more money. I had to turn down United to go to Tottenham before I could just choose.
“I was 17 at the time, and I’m looking, ‘Right, who’s in my position? Am I actually going to play? Do I believe in my own ability? Yes.’”
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Gareth Bale on his success at Tottenham after snubbing Man Utd and his blockbuster 2013 transfer to Real Madrid
Bale made a major impact in his first spell at Tottenham and the former Spurs ace completed a stunning move to Real Madrid in the 2013 transfer window.
United were linked with Bale again amid David Moyes’ reign at Old Trafford in 2013, but Los Blancos snapped up the Welshman for a world-record fee at the time.
Speaking on United’s interest during Ferguson’s time, Bale added: “So, if I go to United, [I’m] probably going to get loaned back.
“Don’t know what’s going to happen. If I go to Tottenham, they said I’m going to play.
“And I feel like at that time, I was doing well in the Championship and I was ready for the next step.
“So, I trusted my ability to go to Tottenham to play and then I could potentially go to a Real Madrid.”
Madrid paid an eye-watering £85.3m to secure the services of Bale, who lifted three La Liga titles, five Champions League trophies and a Copa del Rey with the club.
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