Former Real Madrid manager John Toshack has claimed that he recommended Gareth Bale to Barcelona several years ago.
Toshack worked with man-of-the-moment Bale for a number of years in the Welsh set-up, and the Tottenham Hotspur ace is one of the few gems he has left behind in the senior national team since his departure from the post in September.
Bale’s recent performances have captured the imagination of the whole of Europe following his terrorising displays in Spurs’ two Champions League clashes with Inter Milan, and some reports on Sunday suggest that the Catalan giants are readying a big-money bid for the former Southampton man, with Real and Inter also linked.
But Toshack says Barcelona could have saved themselves a mint. The ex-Wales boss says he advised former Barca sporting director Txiki Begiristain about the player when he was still at St Marys, before he made his move to White Hart Lane for an eventual £8million.
"I spoke with Txiki Begiristain and said that we had a very interesting player whose progress was being followed with great interest," ESPN quoted Toshack as telling Spanish radio network Cadena COPE.
"Barcelona are the best, and Bale is the best in his position. If Lionel Messi is brilliant in tight spaces, Gareth is brilliant over the long distances. He is a very fast player."