Gareth Bale admits it feels good to feel 'loved and appreciated' after helping Spurs to Europa League win

Gareth Bale said it felt good to be "loved and appreciated" after helping Tottenham to a 3-0 win over LASK of Austria in the Europa League on Thursday. The Welsh international started his first match since his return from Real Madrid and played for an hour before Jose Mourinho gave him a break. Bale had come on as a substitute last Sunday with Tottenham 3-0 up against West Ham before his team collapsed to give up a 3-3 draw . "It is amazing to be back," Bale said after the match. "It is a big reason why I play well and why I came back. You want to be loved and appreciated. I will give everything for this shirt." However, he admitted it will take time to find his feet. "I am a bit stiff. It is like a mini pre-season for me and I am trying to get minutes into the legs," he said. Despite Bale starting, it was on-loan Carlos Vinicius who made an impressive debut in the Group J opener. Vinicius started in place of the resting Harry Kane and he made goals in either half for Lucas Moura and Son Heung-min, while he would have also netted himself had Andres Andrade not scored an own goal from a low Bale cross. Manager Jose Mourinho said the 25-year-old Vinicius was still trying to settle into life in England and that Spurs had yet to see the best of him. "He played well but he can do better. It's a bit of a shame still, it's not easy not to speak English so the adaption to the group in spite of having amazing guys that try to make him feel well, isn't easy," Mourinho said. "He's not selfish and is a good target man. He can play with Kane when his good period arrives and won't just be the guy to cover him. I am very happy." Mourinho's side return to action in the Premier League on Monday with a trip to Burnley.

Gareth Bale admits it feels good to feel 'loved and appreciated' after helping Spurs to Europa League win

After quiet game against Austrian side LASK, Welshman says he is still building-up match fitness after missing pre-season