Why Is Gareth Bale's Kit Not in the Top 10 of Premier League Sales?

Tottenham Hotspur’s Gareth Bale was one of the English Premier League's most dangerous and productive players during the 2012-13 season.

Seemingly scorching defenders and goalkeepers for the fun of it, Bale looked a man who owned one of the most popular football leagues on the planet.

So it comes as a bit of a shock that his name was not included in the top 10 of English Premier League worldwide kit sales, according to Yahoo! Sports.

Are the figures more a result of Bale’s lack of marketability, or is Tottenham’s popularity in relation to the other English powerhouses the larger issue here?

While there is no way to know for certain, the answer is more likely related to the latter.

That said, though, there is certainly one issue that plays against Bale that has nothing to do with where Spurs fit into World Football’s complicated popularity pecking order.

Bale’s lack of exposure on the Welsh national team could be a variable affecting his worldwide status, albeit only minimally. Almost all of the other players listed in the top 10 worldwide kit sales list have played in big tournaments for their national teams.

And while English folk and other Europeans are exposed to the Premier League star players at a young age, it is often the international tournaments where players are first recognized by children and those interested in purchasing jerseys across the globe. Cristiano Ronaldo and his performance at the 2006 World Cup certainly comes to mind in this regard.

That stated, Bale’s lack of minutes at big international tournaments is not the main issue explaining his omission from the aforementioned list. It likely has little to do with Bale’s marketability, either.

The speedy winger has plenty of qualities fans can love: He’s flashy, scores goals, skips past defenders freely, is tremendously skilled and often sports a stylish haircut—all factors akin to why Ronaldo is such a worldwide phenomenon.

It seems that Bale’s main detriment in regard to jersey sales is mostly related to neither his nationality nor his personality. Tottenham’s global appeal appears the guiltiest culprit here. Spurs simply are not at the level of popularity as the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea or Liverpool.

It is no coincidence that these five clubs make up the list of players in the top 10 kit sales. They are some of the most recognizable clubs in World Football.

Should Bale make a summer transfer to one of the most popular clubs, it is highly probable his kit sales could surpass a majority of the individuals listed in the top 10.