WALES star Gareth Bale is definitely staying at Tottenham, according to manager Harry Redknapp, who today lifts the lid on the lengths he went to to toughen up the PFA player of the year.

The 20-year old has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the past year under Redknapp, a hat-trick at the San Siro in the Champions League firing him to prominence and leading to inevitable transfer speculation.

However, Bale has declar-ed himself happy to stay at Spurs and recently signed a new four-and-a-half year contract.

Redknapp is certain Bale is going nowhere but admits he was forceful in toughening up the Welsh ace on his arrival at the club.

Redknapp joined with Tottenham bottom of the Premier League with two points from eight games and at that time Bale was seen as something of a jinx, playing 24 league games without being on the winning side.

“He did have a spell, which is unusual for a Welsh boy because they are normally tough as old boots, he had to toughen up,” he said.

“He used to get a knock and get pampered a bit by the physios and I said to them he’ll get up, he’ll be all right, leave him.

“They all used to run over to him and I wanted that to stop. It helped him.”

Bale is now the shining light for club and country and Redknapp won’t contemplate letting him go.

“We want to keep Gareth, he’s the future of the club, he’s been fantastic and he’s not only a top player he’s a great lad as well, so we need to keep him,” he stated.

“We need to keep (Luka) Modric, the better players, Sandro - the Brazilian boy - has been fantastic as well. We need to build the team around him (Bale), they are young players as well. Now we need to add a couple to them.”

But Redknapp has warned newcomers Swansea that they will struggle without buying some experienced Premier League players.

“Fantastic for Swansea, I was impressed with them, Brendan Rogers carried on the football from Roberto Martinez being there,” he said. “They can survive playing that style... but you need one or two in.”