Tottenham's Gareth Bale has signed on to extend his stay in North London, just a year after arriving from Southampton.

The new deal ties the talented left-sided player to the club until 2012 and indicates he is firmly in the plans of manager Juande Ramos as he sets about re-building the Spurs squad.

Having broken into the Saints first team at just 16, Bale joined Tottenham for an initial fee of £5million in the summer of 2007 but made just 12 appearances last season but performed impressively and quickly won over the home support.

The Welsh international, who has 11 caps for his country, made his debut in a high-pressured game away at Manchester United at a time when then manager Martin Jol's job was on the line.

Deployed at a new position in midfield, the youngster's performance earned rave reviews and the side were unlucky to go down 1-0 on the day.

He went on to score three goals, including a stunning free-kick in the North London derby, before a foot injury sustained at Newcastle stunted his momentum and eventually ruled him out for the rest of the campaign.

Having featured heavily in a number of pre-season games, Bale has a place in the thoughts of Ramos although not in his preferred defensive position. The Spaniard appears to see his future as an attacking midfielder, preferring to use Brazil international Gilberto or Benoit Assou-Ekotto in defence.

[Guardian-Series]

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