England boss Fabio Capello would wish that Tottenham Hotspur star Gareth Bale was English and not Welsh.

England scout Jimmy Gilligan hailed his Champions League heroics as Bale made two assists in Spurs' 3-1 win in a fine display against Inter Milan on Tuesday.

The left-winger's performance followed up his hat-trick over the reigning European champions in Milan last week.

"I presume we probably are jealous that he is Welsh, to be quite truthful," admits FA scout Gilligan.

Bale has earned universal plaudits for his performances in an already scintillating season for Tottenham but the seven-goal Welsh international's has saved his best displays for Europe.

Portuguese legend Luis Figo, the 2000 European Footballer of the Year and 2001 FIFA World Player of the Year, has led the plaudits to Bale while Spurs boss Redknapp insisted Bale was "outstanding."

The 21-year-old has given Brazilian right-back Maicon, widely-acknowledged as the best right-back in the world, a torrid time in successive Champions League Group A fixtures against the mighty Inter.

His treble in the San Siro last week was in a 4-3 defeat but his man-of-the-match display against the Italians on Tuesday inspired a 3-0 triumph in a memorable night at White Hart Lane to send Spurs joint-top of Group A.

Cardiff-born Bale may not have scored at White Hart Lane but he was in stunning form and would have had a hat-trick of assists had Peter Crouch not volleyed an easy chance wide in the first half.

"If you are an international manager you would want the best players available," said Gilligan, a scout for England under-21 boss Stuart Pearce.

"And a left-back of that calibre, I think any international team would want him in their side as it was another fine display on Tuesday.

"I really do believe that at the moment he is playing at the top of the tree as his performances have been excellent over the last four or five months for Tottenham.

"And Tuesday night's performance was out of the world.

"The two deliveries that he has put in for two of the goals, it is just what any kind of striker would want."

Bale made his Wales debut in a 2-1 win over Trinidad and Tobago in May 2006, aged just 16 years and 315 days to make him Wales' youngest international.

Bale's two assists against Inter on Tuesday were almost carbon copies of each other as on both occasions he broke and crossed from the left for Peter Crouch and then Roman Pavlyuchenko to score.

Bale has been described as one of the form players in world football at present following his demolition and many critics have questioned whether Tottenham could hold on to their prize asset.

The 27-cap Welshman signed for Spurs in May 2007 in a deal that could rise to £10m before signing a new four-year deal in August 2008.

Bale played a record 24 Premier League games without being in a winning Spurs side but now he is one of their star men.

"If you remember when he first joined them he struggled to hold down a first team place," said Gilligan.

"So credit to the staff at Tottenham and Gareth himself as he has done absolutely brilliantly."

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