Danny Murphy: I didn't tip Gareth Bale for the top at Tottenham, but he's proved he is the Real deal in Madrid

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Danny Murphy3 June 2017

When I played briefly alongside Gareth Bale at Tottenham, I could never have predicted he’d become a world star.

He has grown into a much better footballer than I imagined he would.

Yes, it was clear he had the potential to become a good player. When you saw him in full flow, you could see he had the talent to have a strong career in the Premier League.

But going to Real Madrid as the world’s most expensive player? Two Champions League winner’s medals? I would never have anticipated it.

By contrast, when Michael Owen came through at Liverpool, you knew straightaway he would go to the top. More importantly, he knew it, too.

Bale joined Tottenham from Southampton in May 2007 and I moved to Fulham at the end of August, so we spent pre-season and the early part of the 2007-08 campaign together.

Bale was a great athlete with a nice left foot, but he lacked confidence on the pitch and was quite a shy character.

Self-confidence defines top players. There are guys in League One who have the same technical ability as players at the top of the Premier League, but what separates them is mental strength.

When their team gets a free-kick 35 yards from goal, the top player says: “I’ll have this.” He knows he can smash it in the top corner, just as he would in training.

Bale has been at that level for a number of years now. It’s a question of maturity. In his final year at Spurs, he was arguably the best player in the Premier League and he’s made an impression at Real Madrid, which is far from easy.

But he’s embraced the challenge throughout his four seasons there. It would not surprise me if Bale returns to the Premier League before too long, though.

It is hard to stay in the Madrid team from the day you sign until the end of your career - unless you produce the numbers Cristiano Ronaldo does.

If he does, he can be very proud of what he has achieved - and winning a third Champions League title, in his home city, would be the highlight of his time there.

Euro finals are tougher

Champions League Welsh Dragon-inspired match ball

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I played in two European finals - when Liverpool beat Alaves 5-4 in the 2001 Uefa Cup and when Fulham lost 2-1 to Atletico Madrid nine years later in the Europa League.

These matches do feel bigger than domestic finals, because they are more difficult to win. You can be lucky with a few home draws against weaker teams in a domestic cup but European competitions are far less forgiving.

In 2001, we had to beat Roma - who won Serie A that year - Porto and Barcelona. With Fulham in 2010, we got past Shakhtar Donetsk, Juventus, Wolfsburg and Hamburg.

I enjoyed playing in Europe - the style suited my game - but adapting to different styles is another challenge you don’t experience as much in the domestic game. That is why the winners will take so much satisfaction in victory.

Juve pair will be up against it

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Put Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci at centre-back in the Manchester City team and they would not look as impressive as they do with Juventus and Italy.

Don’t get me wrong, they are outstanding players - two of the best in their position. They are hungry and driven to keep clean sheets.

In Italy, defensive excellence is prized and there is a real pride in being impregnable, in not letting the opposition in. Yet Juventus are a superb team, brilliantly organised.

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What they did to Barcelona in the quarter-finals, winning 3-0 on aggregate and keeping an outstanding attack at bay, shows they are a serious force. Bonucci and Chiellini are brilliant - but the team structure is the key with Juve.

They have some great technical players, too, but no match winner like Cristiano Ronaldo. However well you defend, Ronaldo can score against you. That is why I take Madrid to win.

Don't cross Ronaldo

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When you play against Ronaldo, he will moan at you, he’ll moan at the referee - even at his own team-mates - but he uses his frustration in a devastating way: to drive himself and his team to greater heights.

I remember a game between Fulham and Manchester United towards the end of Ronaldo’s time there. We were on top, so he was wound up.

As we both approached the ball, he lunged towards me. I could have let him take me down and probably got him sent off, but I didn’t.

Cristiano Ronaldo Airport Statue | 29/03/17

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After the referee had spoken to him, I tried to give him a ‘low five’ to recognise that I had done him a favour - but he wasn’t having any of it. He was so angry that he was unable to process what happened.

In many players, that sort of temper is a weakness. With Ronaldo, it is one of his strengths.

He turns up in the big games and will be the key man tomorrow.

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