Paul Merson thinks one Tottenham Hotspur player will be ‘desperate’ today

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Paul Merson has suggested in The Daily Star that Gareth Bale will be “desperate” to play well for Tottenham Hotspur against West Ham United today.

The former Arsenal star, who now works as a pundit for Sky Sports, believes that Bale could be a game-changer for Spurs this season.

The Wales international winger returned to Tottenham on a season-long loan deal from Real Madrid in the summer transfer window.

Spurs will take on West Ham at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the Premier League this evening.

Bale is fit and available, and the 31-year-old could make his (second) debut for Spurs against David Moyes’s side.

Merson wrote in The Daily Star: “Gareth Bale coming in for Spurs could be a game-changer because I can see him, Harry Kane and Heung-min Son scoring 50-odd goals between them.

“Bale could play his first game back for them against West Ham and you just know he is going to be desperate to turn it on.”

Starting on the bench

Bale has had injury problems in recent times and did not play regular first-team football for Madrid last season.

However, the 31-year-old is a very good attacking player who is ready to make an impact at Spurs.

One suspects that Spurs head coach Jose Mourinho will keep Bale on the substitutes’ bench for the start of the London derby and bring him on in the second half.

Meanwhile, ahead of the game, West Ham manager Moyes has told The London Evening Standard that he wanted to sign Bale when he was in charge of Manchester United.

Moyes told The London Evening Standard: “Gareth Bale was probably the first name I thought of when I got the job. I thought Gareth Bale was a Manchester United player. He was the right type.”