The Wales winger has been linked with moves to some of Europe’s top clubs over the past two years, and uncertainty over his continued presence in North London grew following the departure of manager Harry Redknapp, who is yet to be replaced.

However, Bale has now sealed a new deal which keeps him at White Hart Lane until 2016. His previous contract, signed in March 2011, was due to expire in 2015.

The 22-year-old told the club’s official website: “I’ve been here for five years now and I’ve enjoyed every minute. The fans have been great to me and I’d love to repay them and do the very best for them. The club is progressing and I want to be a part of that, so it was great to get the deal done.

"I love the club and the fans and I want to play my part in trying to get us back into the Champions League - where we belong. We’ve a good, young squad and we need to work together to get back on the biggest stage again."

After coming through the youth ranks at Southampton as a left-back, Bale joined Spurs in 2007 for a fee of £5 million. Since then he has scored 29 goals in 160 appearances, most of them after taking on a role further up the pitch.

He first came to wider attention courtesy of goals against Arsenal and Chelsea in the run-in of the 2009-10 season, which ended with Spurs finishing fourth and qualifying for the Champions League.

In that competition the following season, Bale became one of the most coveted players in Europe when he scored a second-half hat-trick in a 4-3 defeat at Internazionale in the group stage, and the campaign ended with the Welshman being named the PFA’s Player of the Year.