All hail brilliant Bale

The view of the game from the inside and from the outside doesn’t always tally, the professional perspective frequently at odds with that of the stands or the press box.

But in presenting Gareth Bale with the double-honour of Player and Young Player of The Year, his football peers have recognised something which is plain to see for all those on the other side of the white lines: first and foremost the game might be about winning, yes, but it wouldn’t be the world’s most popular sport if it wasn’t also, at least some of the time, thrillingly entertaining.

And by that definition, there can be really no quibbling with the choice of the Welshman as the star of the English season now drawing to a close.