Captain Michael Dawson maintains Gareth Bale would be the first to admit he could not have achieved anything without the support of his Tottenham team-mates, as the club look to take it to “the next level” in the 2013-14 season.
Spurs have resumed pre-season training with their key Wales international still very much part of the squad, despite continued rumours of a STG30 million move to Real Madrid.
The north London club are reportedly set to offer Bale – who won last season’s PFA Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year accolades – a new, lucrative STG130,000 week contract as they aim to force their way back into the Champions League, having finished fifth last season after being overtaken by Arsenal.
Andre Villas-Boas has already moved to strengthen his squad with the signing of Brazil international Paulinho and Dawson feels some more improvements can only help show Bale that Spurs can deliver all of his ambitions while at White Hart Lane.
“We all know how good Gaz was last year, he was world class and of course we have got plenty of other world-class players, so we have to make sure we keep hold of them all,” Dawson said at this afternoon’s launch of Spurs’ new first-team kit, manufactured by Under Armour.
“Gaz will be the first to admit he cannot do it without the rest of the team.
“He thoroughly deserved winning both awards last season, it was a great honour for him, he was amazing.
“But if we keep bringing players in, it is only going to make us better as a squad, that is what we want to do.
“We have a fantastic squad with a great manager and good staff – everyone at the whole club is hungry to do well.
“Every player wants to be in the Champions League, we have just made a great signing and improvement is the key, bringing in players like Paulinho is only going to make the club better.
“With the squad we have, if we keep improving that, it is going to take us to the next level.”
Dawson added: “You want to keep your best players and also keep improving.
“We have already improved (the squad), I am sure we will continue to look to do that over the summer.
“As players, we will take that onto the pitch and then hopefully this time next year we can start talking about being in the Champions League again.
“We have to go out there and perform to make sure we are in there again, because it is only ourselves to blame if we are not.”
For much of last season, Spurs looked well set to qualify for the Champions League again, only to falter over the final few weeks of the campaign as north London rivals Arsenal rallied to snatch fourth place and with it secure a two-legged play-off berth in August for another crack at elite level European football.
Dawson, though, sees no reason why Spurs should not feel confident of lasting the distance over 2013-14.
“The new season will start with a fresh campaign, and it is one we are looking forward to, when hopefully we will be able to achieve being back in the Champions League again,” he said.
“We will keep fighting and have made some new signings, we all want to achieve things, so we are going in the right direction.”
Dawson, 29, has enjoyed a new lease of life under former Chelsea boss Villas-Boas, who took charge last summer following the departure of Harry Redknapp.
The centre-half could well find himself very much back in the picture with England ahead of the crucial World Cup qualifying run-in.
For now, though, Dawson is focusing on more immediate matters as Spurs prepare for their pre-season trip to the Barclays Asia Trophy in Hong Kong.
“I was called into one squad under the new manager, and then have not been in one since,” said Dawson, who was forced to pull out of the England squad for the games with San Marino and Montenegro in March because of injury having been recalled by Roy Hodgson.
“All I can do is keep working with Spurs and then see where it takes us.”
