Tottenham Hotspur interim boss Ryan Mason has revealed that he believes Gareth Bale is playing close to his best ahead of the trip to Leeds United this weekend.
Mason has taken over the helm following Jose Mourinho's sacking, overseeing a handful of games including Spurs' most recent victory - a 4-0 hammering of Sheffield United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
On-loan Real Madrid man Bale netted an emphatic hat-trick in that game, showcasing a range of finishes, punishing the Blades' high-line in the second half of that contest.
Mason believes Bale's happiness is key to his upturn in form.
"I can only go on the last two weeks," Mason told Football.London.
"I experienced playing with him as well. He's a top professional. He's happy and I'm happy and that's important. I think at the moment we're seeing Gareth close to his best."
Leeds United supporters will be familiar with Gareth Bale at his best, having likely witnessed his exploits across various major tournaments, both domestic and international.
His performance in the 2018 Champions League Final win over Liverpool is one which remains in the annals of European Cup folklore, having scored a spectacular overhead kick past the Reds.
Bale's best form saw him lured to Real Madrid back in 2013, and despite off-field issues, maintained an extremely high level of performance at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu throughout his time in La Liga.
Mason's admission serves as a warning to Leeds United, that this weekend they will go up against a player who has seemingly put injury troubles behind him to rekindle the kind of form which saw him entertaining the masses at one of the world's biggest clubs.
Whether Mason is the manager to extract the best from Bale remains to be seen, as the former Spurs player embarks on a fledgling managerial career in this lofty first job, however four goals in his last two appearances suggests Bale is playing with pomp.
The Welshman has scored nine Premier League goals in just 16 appearances for Spurs this season, netting 14 across all competitions.
