• Premier League

Bale hails Tottenham team spirit

ESPN staff
April 2, 2013
Gareth Bale has been in superb form for Tottenham this season © Getty Images
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Gareth Bale is hopeful that the "great team spirit" at Tottenham Hotspur will help to ensure they clinch Champions League qualification.

Spurs are currently third in the Premier League table after their 2-1 victory over Swansea on Saturday put them two points above Chelsea, who have a game in hand.

Tottenham suffered from a dip in form last season that ultimately cost them qualification for the Champions League, as Chelsea's triumph in the competition meant the North London side's fourth-placed finish was not enough.

This term under Andre Villas-Boas, however, Bale is confident of a strong finish to the season, as they fight in the league and also Europa League.

"We are a very close group as a team. At some places there's little groups here and little groups there but we have got a great team spirit and we want to take that into the rest of the season," Bale told Eurosport.

"The main thing for us is that we don't get carried away. We're comfortably able to finish fourth in the league and competing for third - we've got to take it game by game.

"We can push on in the Europa League as well against Basel. Our away form has been very good - we showed that against Lyon. We want to do as well as we can in both competitions."

Bale, 23, has been in outstanding form this campaign, scoring 17 Premier League goals, leading to comparisons with Real Madrid and Barcelona stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

The Wales international added: "Ronaldo and Messi have set the standard as the best players in the world, and everyone wants to play like them. Year by year I'm improving and I can still improve."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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