From terrorrising Maicon and Inter Milan down the left flank during the 2010-11 season to cutting inside to great effect last term, Gareth Bale has become a different kind of player over the last few years.
That has been illustrated by an excellent graphic tweeted by ESPN's Albert Larcada, showing where Bale tended to touch the ball in 2010/11, 2011/12 and 2012/13:
Gareth Bale's progression from a left winger to a more central player over the past three seasons... http://t.co/1lMM8XtIWT
— Albert Larcada (@adlarcada_ESPN) August 26, 2013
Bale's touches are in red and first show him hugging the touchline. But migrates into the middle far more often.
So how do the stats show he has become more effective, other than his improved goal tally?
Back in 2010/11, Tottenham's first season in the Champions League, Bale made two key passes per game and 2.1 shots per game, including direct set pieces.
His key pass rate went up to 2.3 last season but his shots per game rocketed up to 5 per game, more than double his rate two years previously. Consequently his goal tally has risen markedly. Last season he netted 21 times in the league.
With less space in the middle, he also goes on fewer dribbles as he matures, while his pass completion rate which was under 75 per cent is now much closer to 80 per cent.
