Tottenham interim boss Ryan Mason said Gareth Bale’s future will be addressed at the end of the season after his hat-trick inspired a 4-0 win over Sheffield United.

Bale struck a sublime treble at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Son Heung-min adding a fine fourth, as Spurs kept themselves in the race for Champions League qualification.

The Wales international recently said that he intends to go back to Real Madrid next summer, but with performances like this Spurs will want to keep him in north London.

“It was a red card. No doubt whatsoever,” he said. “I am a bit confused. I am shocked as well. First of all I am shocked at the VAR sitting in the room having an opportunity to have a look at it once, that should have been enough.

“Then I am even more shocked he has not told the referee to go and have a look at it because there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that it is a red card and when we have seen some of the red cards in recent weeks it makes it even more shocking.”

Sheffield United were unable to cope with Spurs’ attacking prowess, but even though they conceded three goals in the second half, it was their first-half display that angered interim boss Paul Heckingbottom.

“We know we are playing against good players every week in this league, we know we have to be at our best to compete and get points,” he said. “The first half upset me the most, the first half wasn’t good enough. It is anger that first-half performance, I didn’t enjoy watching that, a passive performance like that.

“When we came out in the second half it was a completely different attitude. If we had approached the game like that all the way through then you can hold your hands up, but the way we started the game was not good enough.”