Southampton boss Nigel Adkins is full of praise for Tottenham star Gareth Bale.

Bale returns to St Mary's Stadium on Sunday for the first time since he left the south-coast club for Tottenham.

"He is a very professional player," the Southampton manager said. "He looks after his lifestyle and he is reaping the rewards for doing that.

"He is a shining example of how professional you need to be to be successful at the top level."