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Gareth Bale's agent claims he told José Mourinho and Tottenham Hotspur to give his client more freedom on the pitch - like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo - to get the best out of him.
Bale returned to North London on a season-long loan from Real Madrid last summer, seven years after his world record £85 million move to the Bernabéu.
However, the 31-year-old struggled to make a consistent impact under Mourinho as he was restricted to 28 appearances in all competitions and just six starts in the Premier League.
On the back of Mourinho's exit, though, Bale instantly found the net against Southampton, before grabbing a hat-trick in a 4-0 win over Sheffield United.
Jonathan Barnett, Bale's long-term representative, conceded that the Welshman had "a rough time under Mourinho" but proved his world-class status when used best.
Speaking to SNTV, Barnett said:
As I said to Spurs at the beginning: "if you give him a run, put your trust in him, let him play his own game, not tell him he's got to do this and that, treat him like a Messi or Ronaldo - I'm not he's as good - and you'll see."
It's been proven that every time he's been left like that, he's gone and scored a lot goals. He's world class.
So that was the biggest mistake - I'm not going to blame anybody.
Asked if he would blame Mourinho for Bale's indifferent spell, Barnett replied:
Well, I wouldn't do that. He's a very successful coach... but Julius Caesar was also very good, but I don't think he would be very good with the armies now.
Bale's future remains uncertain amid reports he could spend a second season on loan at Spurs, with Real again contributing significantly to his wages.
