The Welsh winger scored twice, either side of Yoan Gouffran's equaliser for the Magpies, to move Tottenham above Chelsea into third place, for a few hours at least.

"It was a massive game today. It was just important to come back and put pressure on the teams above us," Bale told Sky Sports.

"I am enjoying my football at the moment and that's the most important thing. I'm just going to keep my head down and be focused."

Bale opened the scoring with a perfectly-executed free-kick, which dipped just over the wall, before his cool finish late on sealed the points.

He added: "It's just hard work in training. For the other goal I work on my finishing in training. I was just happy to see it go in."

Bale could even have had a hat-trick, lashing a right-footed effort over an unguarded net, while Tim Krul made some smart saves late on to deny him.

"He is definitely a great keeper. I was disappointed with the goal I missed on my right foot. I'll have to work on that," he said.