Gareth Bale: Best in the world?

After the White Hart Lane faithful belted Gareth Bale's name out on Saturday from stand to stand, many were beginning to label him as one of the world's best players.

While not yet mentioned in the same breathe as the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, Bale has gone from strength to strength since he burst onto the scene in Milan, after taking home the match ball in 2010 thanks to three carbon copy goals.

And while Messi and Ronaldo are in a league of their own, Bale's exhilarating pace instills fear into every defender he comes up against. Only few get the better of him and when he's on song, there's simply no stopping the pacey winger.

His ability to power past players emphatically has earned him plaudits from far and wide since he first grabbed the world's attention that night at the San Siro. It seems that for every Spurs game, the giants of European football's heads turn a little bit more towards north London.

A big money bid must be increasingly tempting for the likes of Real Madrid, who Bale is regularly linked with. But for every Tottenham game, the Spurs fans love the man even more. Before Saturday, I had never heard such a passionate roar ring around White Hart Lane for one player. The 'Gareth Bale Show' had turned into a running series.

Bale has upped his game this season. He has already produced his best ever goal return and there's no sign of him slowing down. Again, his goal return is nowhere near Messi's or Ronaldo's, but it's still a healthy source of goals for Villas-Boas' side.

While it would be highly controversial (and ludicrous) for me to label Bale as the definitive best player in the world, it would be perfectly reasonable to label him as the best in the Premier League. While this could be endlessly argued between Premier League fans, he is certainly part of the top bracket of players along with Robin van Persie and Luis Suarez.

Love him or hate him, he has taken the Premier league by storm and teams by the scruff of the neck this season and come the summer, every single Spurs fan will be begging Bale to reject sunny Spain for the blue half of north London. 

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