Gareth Bale has revealed why his Tottenham teammate Lucas Moura refused to get involved in the celebration of his ‘WM’ goal, with the Brazilian striker from Spurs delivering a ‘just Lucas’ response to the ‘Welsh mafia’.

Jose Mourinho saw a recent revival of his Welsh international striker continue in a 4-0 Premier League win over Burnley.

Bale won a brace in that contest, allowing him to perform in front of the cameras with his new way of recognizing any effort that hits the back of the net – which recognizes the fine work done by the Make-A-Wish Foundation but took on a alternative meaning in the eyes of some of his club colleagues.

What was said?

Talk to TV Spurs, Bale said of his celebration – which Lucas joined in but chose to go with an ‘L’ on each hand rather than the ‘WM’: ‘Because everyone says ours is the Mafia Welsh, he decided to go with just Lucas!

How has Bale performed this season?

Big things were expected from the 31-year-old when he returned to familiar surroundings in the summer of 2020.

A one-season loan to Spurs was supposed to give Bale a chance to put his problems at Real Madrid behind him.

Insignificant blows were to follow him from Spain to north London, however, with the the desired impact in England is slow to materialize.

However, the form has been rediscovered recently, with Bale having scored four goals in his last four appearances in all competitions.

Jose Mourinho spoke about him again, after asking uncomfortable questions at times this trimester, and the Welshman claims to enjoy his football.

He added after helping bring Burnley down, “Yeah, I’m building. Yeah, it took a while, but yeah, I’m happy.

“I’m gaining confidence, my physical condition is improving and obviously I think you can see it in my performance.”

The bigger picture

Bale’s performances lately suggest he may still find his way in the race for a permanent return to Tottenham.

There appears to be little future for him at the Santiago Bernabeu, especially if Zinedine Zidane sticks around, and big decisions will have to be made in the next transfer window.

His contract in Madrid is due to run until 2022, but the Los Blancos scour the market looking for a buyer and will be delighted to see an expensive asset return to the market.

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