Bale: I’ll get much better

STILL ON THE WAY UP ... Gareth Bale is still expecting to improve

GARETH BALE has warned the Premier League his sizzling form will get even better.

The Tottenham wing wizard has scored in his last five games for club and country — including two crackers against Lyon on Thursday.

It means he has scored the winning goals in three consecutive games for Spurs.

But the 23-year-old insists he has not reached his peak yet. The Welshman said: “It’s probably the best I’ve been playing so far in my career, but I’ve still got room for improvement.

“Season after season I have to improve in all areas. I just want to keep doing that, keep working hard and, hopefully, keep getting better.”

Bale’s two against Lyon were swerving, dipping free-kicks and he also netted with a set-piece against Newcastle last weekend.

Brad Friedel reckons Bale’s free-kicks are every goalkeeper’s nightmare. The Spurs stopper admits one false move and you are dead because of the technique and power he puts behind the ball.

Friedel explained: “I just watched the first one against Lyon. Because there’s no spin on the ball the way Gareth hits it, you have to take your first step from the first movement of the ball.

“And I’m afraid that’s to the goalkeeper’s left and he moved left. And once he’s done that he’s dead. If there’s no spin on the ball and then mid-flight it goes the opposite way, there’s no way to train your eye to deal with that.

“You just then have to react the best you can.

“If someone tries to bend it over the wall with spin on the ball then you know which way it’s going to go unless it deflects.

“The pace and power that he has is up there with the very best in the world. But he works a lot on his free-kicks, he is perfecting that style of free-kick.

“And I tell you, it is so difficult to save. Pepe Reina had all sorts of troubles when we played Liverpool, it’s such a difficult ball to deal with. And it’s great that he has that in his repertoire for us.

“The second one I’ve not seen from behind the goal yet, I’ve only seen it from the side.

“I assume the exact same movement on the ball occurred and, if so, it’s really difficult to save.

“And again, from my standpoint it’s really difficult to lay blame on a goalkeeper.”

Bale’s double gave Spurs a 2-1 first-leg win in their Europa League second-round clash with the French side.

And the Welshman — who has hit 17 goals for Spurs this term — puts his success down to practice.

He said: “I’ve been practising for ages now. It’s one of those things, you keep practising and it does come off in a match.

“I’m enjoying my football, which is the most important thing. It’s great to be winning games and to get that winning mentality.

“I think we work as a team on the pitch, I’m just lucky enough to be getting the goals at the moment.

“So, yeah, we worked hard as a team again. I don’t think it’s down to individuals but the whole team deserves credit.

“No one can win the game on their own and we just want to keep working hard and winning every game.”