Gareth Bale may have sent Spurs boss Jose Mourinho a subtle but key message last night – TBR View

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Tottenham Hotspur newcomer Joe Rodon may still be still biding his time for regular game time under Jose Mourinho, but he’s getting plenty for Wales.

In the friendly against the United States last week, the young Spurs centre-back came on as a substitute and helped keep a clean sheet in a 0-0 draw.

Rodon then played the full 90 minutes against the Republic of Ireland and was instrumental in securing a second successive shutout as the Dragons ran out 1-0 winners.

While the 23-year-old may have not been able to make it a hat-trick of clean sheets against Finland, he nonetheless helped Wales to a 3-1 victory with yet another strong display.

Fellow Tottenham teammate Gareth Bale also featured and, when he came off on the hour, he handed the captain’s armband to Rodon.

It was a lovely exchange which was well received on social media, a potential first Wales captaincy of many for one of the nation’s rising stars.

And potentially, it could have also served as a subtle hint for Mourinho.

By giving Rodon the armband, Bale gave his seal of approval to a player who has proven himself at international level, highlighting his quality to a manager who’s given him very little game time so far.

With the international break now over for the year, Rodon will return to Spurs looking to continue working hard towards a first-team place.

To date, the 6ft 4in ace has made just one appearance for Mourinho’s side, a late cameo to help run the clock down against Burnley, and has made the bench twice more.

But given how impressive Rodon has been over the past 10 days, surely it’s a matter of time before he’s a regular first-team starter for Tottenham.