The Real Madrid winger is currently in the top five players in the world, according to the former Tottenham boss, and deserves the award.
Real Madrid star Gareth Bale is good enough to win the Ballon d’Or, according to his former manager Harry Redknapp.
Redknapp managed Bale at Tottenham before he was sold for a then world-record fee of £85m to the Spanish giants, with whom he has gone on to win two Champions Leagues with.
The former Spurs boss believes the 27-year-old’s form is good enough for him to be named the best in the world and would prove to be the difference for a number of Premier League clubs, should he return to England.
“Yes, he can win the Ballon d’Or,” Redknapp told Goal. “I think he is in the top five at the moment anyway. I think he is up there, I think he is a fantastic talent.
“If any of the top teams in the Premier League managed to buy him back, he would be the difference between winning the league and not. If he came back to England, he would be the best player in the league.
“If he went to Man City, I think Man City would win the league, if he had gone to Man Utd, I’d have fancied Man Utd to do it. If he went back to Tottenham, then Tottenham to win it. Chelsea, I’d say Chelsea. That is the difference he would make.”
Bale is preparing to take on Sporting in his side’s Champions League opener on Wednesday after they beat Osasuna 5-2 at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
Redknapp didn’t sign Bale for Tottenham, but undoubtedly had a huge influence over his career, helping him become one of the best players in the world by converting him from a left-back to a winger for the North London club.
“You saw him on the training ground, you knew he was special,” Redknapp added. “He had everything really, he could dribble, he could shoot, he could run far, he could run short distance with speed.”
“He could run long distance. He had everything. He could score goals, make goals. He was the full package. I always felt he could have been the best left back in the world. He was an amazing talent, we just pushed him forward so we could get more out of him.
“He started off on the left wing, then we ended up giving him a free role and wherever he played he was just a great threat to the opposition with his pace with his ability to just pick the ball up and beat people and score goals. He’s just amazing.”