• Premier League

Bale wants to bend it like Ronaldo

ESPN staff
February 1, 2013
Gareth Bale has been keeping a close eye on the brilliance of Cristiano Ronaldo © Getty Images
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Tottenham star Gareth Bale wants to follow the lead of Cristiano Ronaldo and become the "best all-round player in the world".

Bale had a tough start to life in Tottenham colours, but he has flourished in the past couple of seasons and is regarded as one of the best wingers in world football.

Equally at home at full-back, Bale has a host of strings to his bow and he proved his liking for the spectacular when earning Tottenham a point against Norwich with a brilliant goal.

The Wales international has been linked with both Barcelona and Ronaldo's Real Madrid and Bale is a huge admirer of the former Manchester United superstar.

"You put your targets high," Bale told the Evening Standard. "The way Ronaldo plays, he's the best all-round player in the world. People have said things in the past and the stuff he does is similar to what I do.

"He is a benchmark for every player who wants to be that good and it's useful to look at other players, watch how they do things and take my game to another level.

"Look at the way he takes free-kicks - he scores a lot of goals from them. He is obviously doing something right and he is on another level. Can I get there? One day. He's one of the players who we all try to match. Apart from Lionel Messi, Ronaldo is on a different planet and I'd love to be half as good as him."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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