Seven years ago, Gareth Bale left Tottenham, becoming the most expensive player in the world at the time as he joined Real Madrid. On Saturday, he returns to complete a loan move back to Spurs, a deal that ends his own weird personal exile from the game and, Tottenham will hope, gives a much-needed boost to a season that started lethargically with a deeply worrying 1–0 defeat to Everton.
The narrative appeal of Bale’s return to North London is obvious. He is the prodigal son, the player who first transformed Spurs into a side that could compete in the Champions League.