Given what a toxic environment it had become at Real Madrid for Gareth Bale, wherever he moved on to was bound to prove a happier existence.
That the Welshman returned to Tottenham, effectively the team where he made his name and earned his move to the Santiago Bernabeu, was arguably the icing on the cake.
After easing back to full fitness, the north Londoners are starting to see what he’s capable of, and it’s no coincidence that Spurs find themselves flying high in third position in the Premier League.
Former Real team-mate, Sergio Reguilon, has also made a decent impression in the English top flight, and he can’t believe the lengths that Tottenham have gone to in order to keep Bale happy.
“He’s really happy,” Reguilon said to Spanish radio station, Cadena Ser, cited by Sport.
“I notice a difference. The language is everything for him. He speaks Spanish well, it’s not bad, a bit like my English, but communication, the habits, mean he’s happier in England.
“What most surprised me is at the training ground there are golf holes.
“I asked and they told me they were put there for him. They’re short holes, maybe 30 metres. I couldn’t believe it!”
If the north Londoners can come to a longer-term agreement with Real Madrid, it would appear almost certain that Bale’s arrangement with Spurs will be longer than the current season-long loan.
He’s unlikely to be cosseted in quite the same elsewhere.