Gareth Bale has become a key player for Tottenham Hotspur and Wales thanks to a series of polished displays.

Fast and agile, he is a good dribbler, passes the ball with great accuracy and can also score goals.

Bale, who normally plays on the left wing, was born on July 16, 1989 in Cardiff. He was a versatile athlete at school and never bothered to focus on one sport due to his endurance and speed. He represented his school in rugby, football, hockey and athletics.

Southampton football scouts saw his potential at the age of nine when he was playing in a six-a-side competition with Cardiff Civil Service FC.

Bale started to train with Southampton’s academy in Bath, although there was initially some doubt whether Southampton would give him a scholarship.

Yet they never doubted his ability and on April 17, 2006, at the age of 16 years and 275 days, Bale became the second youngest player ever to play for the Saints after Theo Walcott who was 132 days younger.

Bale’s debut arrived in the Saints’ 2-0 victory over Millwall. On August 6 of that same year he scored his first league goal, a free-kick against Derby County.

He soon became a deadball specialist and trained after hours to refine his new shooting skills. By December 2006, Bale’s goal count had risen to five.

He won the BBC Cymru Wales Young Sports Personality of the Year and was named Football League Young Player of the Year in March, 2007 to crown a memorable maiden season.

In total, he made 45 appearances for Southampton, scoring five goals.

On May 25, 2007, Bale signed a four-year deal with Tottenham for £5m. He made his baptism for the Spurs on August 26, 2007, away at Manchester United.

In only his second Spurs appearance, he scored his first goal in a 3-3 draw with Fulham on September l.

Yet the fans’ biggest cheer came when Bale scored against Arsenal in the North London derby. But soon after he suffered ligament damage in his right ankle that ruled him out for the rest of season.

In the season that followed he lost his place to Benoit Assou-Ekotto. After playing 24 times for Spurs without being on the winning side, Bale’s first ever involvement in a Premier League victory came against Burnley on September 26, 2009.

In 2010-11, a knee surgery sidelined him for the first two months of the season. Bale finally tasted victory for the first time as a starter in a league game in the 2-0 win over Fulham on January 26, 2010.

He signed a new four-year contract at White Hart Lane on May 7, 2010 and after his remarkable displays in Europe, the Welshman cemented himself in the Tottenham side in 2010-11 in a left-wing role.

San Siro stunner

On September 29, 2010, Bale scored his first Champions League goal for Tottenham in a 4-1 home win against Twente.

After a hat-trick against Inter at the San Siro, in Spurs’ 4-3 loss, continental clubs started to watch him more carefully.

In the return match, Spurs beat Inter 3-1 to move into the KO phase. At the end of the campaign, Bale was honoured with the PFA Player of the Year award.

After selection by the Welsh FA at the end of the 2005-06 campaign, he made his debut on May 27, 2006, appearing as a substitute in a 2-1 win over Trinidad.

Bale became the youngest ever player to figure for Wales at just 16 years and 315 days.

He was called up to the Wales squad for the first time under the late Gary Speed to play against Australia on August 10 this year.

He also left his mark in the ties that mattered most in the Euro qualifiers against England.

Although he finished on the losing end on both occasions, critics remarked that Bale continued to show signs of progress.

Bale has appeared in 33 matches for Wales so far and scored six goals.