Fabio Capello looks to have solved England's problem on the left flank by starting Steven Gerrard there and alternating mid-match with Wayne Rooney, but before the appointment of the Italian the position was troublesome. Giggs would have fitted the bill perfectly but chose to represent Wales - the 36-year-old is now retired from international football - and there are hopes of Bale stepping into his boots. After Bale's performance against Blackburn on Saturday, Redknapp said: "For sure, it's a shame he's not English, but I'm sure Wales are pleased to have him. He's over six foot and can dribble, run with it, shoot, cross. He's got the lot and will have a terrific future, I'm sure." Bale is relishing the challenge of helping his club reach the Champions League after finally getting his chance to shine at White Hart Lane. He arrived with huge hype from Southampton nearly three years ago, with Spurs having fought off interest from Manchester United - but nothing went right initially for the £10million signing. Ligament damage to his right foot limited his impact in his first season, then Redknapp arrived as boss last year and could not rely on Bale defensively. Redknapp told the BBC: "Gareth is such an outstanding player but people forget that he is just a boy and was learning the game when I came here. "When I came here I felt he was never taught the game and needed to learn. He had natural ability but so much of his game needed working on. "He's matured, progressed and got stronger and looks a fantastic player whether he plays left-back or wide left, he's shown he can play both. If you look at him against Blackburn there wouldn't be a better left-sided player in the country." It was only an injury to left-back Benoit Assou-Ekotto that gave Bale a chance in January but he has grabbed his opportunity with both hands and remained in the team, on the left side of midfield, following the Cameroon international's return. "The gaffer has given me a chance and I want to keep playing well and keep doing well for the team," said the 20-year-old. "We're all confident here, obviously it will be tough to finish in the top four but we'll be doing our best." Bale picked up the man-of-the-match champagne against Blackburn after consistently getting the better of Michel Salgado. The 34-year-old has 53 caps for Spain and spent a decade at Real Madrid but Bale kept breezing past him. Bale set up one of Roman Pavlyuchenko's two goals in the 3-1 win, while Jermain Defoe grabbed his 23rd of the season, his highest personal tally for a campaign. Redknapp's men were helped by former Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robinson picking up a calf injury that will require a scan before it is determined how long he will be sidelined for. "He's a great goalkeeper and has been England's number one," Bale said. "It was disappointing to see him go off but we had to capitalise on it." After Defoe tapped in the opener, Pavlyuchenko's finish went through substitute goalkeeper Jason Brown. Christopher Samba pulled one back before Pavlyuchenko scored his eighth in six games. Blackburn felt they should have had a penalty at 0-0 when David Dunn was brought down by Vedran Corluka. "It's an easy decision because his right leg goes across him and there is no contact with the ball," said Rovers boss Sam Allardyce. "It would have put pressure on Tottenham to come out and would have given us a real boost and something to hang onto. It was a big major decision that went against us."
