Manchester United icon turned sharp-tongued TV pundit Roy Keane has claimed Gareth Bale will never recapture his scintillating best form after a stuttering return to Tottenham.
The Wales talisman agreed a season-long loan move to his old club from Real Madrid and, while showing glimpses of his true quality, has perhaps failed to set the Premier League alight as he would have liked.
The spotlight once again shone on Bale when Spurs boss Jose Mourinho called on him from the bench during the clash with Leicester City on Sunday afternoon.
Mourinho's men limped to a 2-0 home defeat at the hands of the Foxes, with Bale having a minimal impact in the second half as the north London club looked to chase the game.
And, given Bale's bit-part role for Spurs so far, Keane believes it will be incredibly difficult for the 31-year-old to get back to the top of his game.
“I don’t see Gareth Bale getting back to the level he was a few years ago," Keane said. "Top players, you’ve got to play week-in and week-out.
"With (Cristiano) Ronaldo and (Lionel) Messi, and when Bale is at his best - we’re going back a few years now, I know he’s produced big moments in big games - but he looks way off it.”
Former Chelsea, Leeds United and Cardiff City striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink disagreed, however, claiming that a solid run of games under Bale's belt could spark a return to his devastating best.
“He needs a run of games," Hasselbaink weighed in. "You cannot expect him to come on at half time and change things straight away when he has not had five or six games in a row.
"He’s somebody that needs to get into a rhythm and needs opportunities to play. He’s not played enough for my liking and also, at Real Madrid, he didn’t play, so you need to give him time.”
The Welshman has played just 10 games for Spurs, equating to just 13 percent of their total game time this season, and has scored two goals.
