Bale on the road to resurrection

It must have been ages since the last time we saw the beast mode of his. That furious run alongside the sideline, leaving the opposing defender in despair. Of course, add a couple of long-range missiles, one or two acrobatic moves, at least one goal and assist per match.

Yes, that was Gareth Bale in his first tenure with the Spurs before heading to Madrid's rollercoaster. Once he returned to London, on loan, it was everything but that once all-mighty Welshman. And he just couldn't cope with Jose Mourinho's demands and a unique style of man-management, to put it politely. It seemed that he would return to Madrid sooner rather than later.

"We all know the difficulties he had in recent seasons, we all know that he arrived injured, we all know that even this season, he has had ups and downs with some small things. I cannot give away minutes. I will continue in this line," said Mourinho, fed up with Bale's repeated absences.

But then something almost miraculous happened in a recent Europa League away tie against Wolfsberger (1-4). The Welshman scored a goal and provided with an assist that earned him one more chance with the Portuguese tactician. The Special One used him then as a catalyst against West Ham (2-1), and it worked. Just like in the second leg vs Wolfsberger. And then came Burnley.

Bale rolls back the years as Spurs hammer Burnley

The last Tottenham's Premier League match witnessed Bale's incredible performance, just like in the old days. Fast, prodigious, versatile, he assisted once and scored twice, the first one coming after only 70 seconds. Tables have turned, and Mourinho's words speak for themselves.

"Sometimes people write things, and sometimes, some of you [journalists] like to imagine stories," he accused the press after the game.

"You need to write stories, and sometimes you like to say things that are not really true.

"But there is not one single coach in the world that doesn't play Gareth Bale if Bale is in excellent condition. There is not one, but now he is better than ever."

Mourinho and his assistant coach with Bale (©Reuters)

Mourinho mentioned that he had noticed a shift in Bale's performances lately.

"It's not just about the two goals he scored. It's fundamentally about his physical performance. Now he's not flat. He has ups and downs in the speed he brings to his actions," he said.

"Even in the area in which he plays, sometimes outside, sometimes inside.

"He played very well, and his condition is very good. I'm just pleased for the team because he helped the team to win and that's the most important thing. I'm happy for him."

The Welsh forward got a rare start against Burnley and took full advantage of the opportunity. After the game, the Real Madrid loanee mentioned that he felt better about his own displays of late.

"Yes," was his response when asked if he was approaching the level he would like to be at. "I am getting closer.

"It's taken time, but I'm happy, improving physically and gaining confidence. You can see that in my last games," he said.