Bale receives hero's welcome from Spurs fans

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

VIDEO SHOWS: GARETH BALE ARRIVING AT TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR'S TRAINING GROUND, TOTTENHAM FANS CHEERING OUTSIDE TRAINING GROUNDS, STILL PHOTOGRAPHS OF BALE ARRIVING IN THE UK AT LUTON AIRPORT

SHOWS:

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (SEPTEMBER 18, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

1. FANS CHEERING AND APPLAUDING AS GARETH BALE ARRIVES AT TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR TRAINING GROUND

2. CARS DRIVING THROUGH ENTRANCE TO TOTTENHAM'S TRAINING GROUND

3. VARIOUS OF TOTTENHAM FANS, CHANTING (English): "GARETH BALE, GARETH BALE, HE WAS BORN TO PLAY FOR SPURS. HE WAS BORN TO PLAY FOR SPURS"

4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNIDENTIFIED TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR FANS, SAYING:

FAN, WEARING MASK, SAYING: "Massive happy days. Can't be happier."

OTHER FAN, SAYING: "Ah, massive man. Couldn't be happier."

5. FANS, CHANTING (English): "BALE. BALE. BALE. BALE BALE. BALE. BALE. BALE"

LUTON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (SEPTEMBER 18, 2020) (ACTION IMAGES - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE)

6. VARIOUS STILL PHOTOGRAPHS OF BALE IN A CAR AS HE LEAVES LUTON AIRPORT

7. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF BALE POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPH WITH FAN

8. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF BALE IN THE CAR

9. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF BALE SMILING IN THE CAR

STORY: Gareth Bale arrived at Tottenham Hotspur's training ground in London on Friday (September 18) ahead of completing his imminent return to the club.

The Wales international, who landed at Luton Airport earlier on Friday, is expected to be unveiled later on Friday.

Bale and his Real Madrid team mate Sergio Reguilon were on a private jet which is owned by Tottenham chairman, Daniel Levy.

Spanish left back Reguilon is set to join the London club on a permanent basis while Bale is expected to sign an initial loan deal for the season.

For Bale, it was a hero's welcome at the training ground of the club he left to join Real Madrid for a then world record 100 million euros ($118.35 million) in 2013.

He originally joined Tottenham from Southampton in 2007 and, after initially struggling to make his mark, evolved into one of the club's greatest players, scoring 105 goals in 251 appearances.

After joining Real he won four Champions League and two Liga titles but has fallen out of favour with coach Zinedine Zidane.

($1 = 0.8450 euros)

(Production: Ben Makori, Paul Childs, Tim Hart)