Gareth Bale’s former Southampton team-mate, Nathan Dyer, who is now with Swansea City, has revealed that the Tottenham Hotspur winger wasn’t always as quick as he is now.
The duo, who were on opposing sides last month in a 1-1 draw, featured in a youth team which also starred Theo Walcott, who now plays for Arsenal.
Dyer told the Daily Star: “I was older than them but I’ve always thought some people develop quicker than others. Gareth shot up so quickly it was ridiculous.
“I remember when we were younger and I could I knock it past him and run. I could never do that now though.
“He got into the first-team straight away and got his move to Tottenham and the same with Theo going to Arsenal.
“I felt like I was a bit left behind but knew I wasn’t at that level yet. I wasn’t playing consistently or well for Southampton.
“I knew I was going to become a good player but it would take time. Now I’m starting to hopefully get to my best.”