At the age of 33, former Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur player Gareth Bale announced his retirement from football after a fantastic career.
When Bale’s brilliance first surfaced during his glory days with the Spurs, he was considered one of the upcoming superstars. Bale became the most expensive player at the time when Real Madrid purchased him for $100 million back in 2013.
Seven years ago today, Real Madrid spent €100 million on Gareth Bale to make him the most expensive player on the planet 💰 pic.twitter.com/aEfu0gviQX
— GOAL (@goal) September 1, 2020
He scored 107 goals in 258 games for Los Blancos, including a brace in the 2018 Champions League final where he appeared as a substitute, scored the best goal in the history of UCL final and changed the whole scenario in a flash.
This is the BEST UCL Goal EVER bar NONE imo 🔥 #Bale pic.twitter.com/b7w2s37XQZ
— Adam Smithy (@AdamJSmithy) January 9, 2023
However, his career has not progressed as expected due to a string of injuries that have forced him to spend his final days at Real Madrid as a bench warmer.
Following a statement in which he placed Wales and golf above Madrid, his relationship with Bernabeu fans altered in different directions. Due to the collapse in affinity, he received less sympathy after his exit even after winning three La Liga titles and staggering five UCL titles with Real Madrid.
Gareth Bale taking the piss out of Real Madrid again, this time in video form
Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order.
— Scott Saunders (@__scottsaunders) November 19, 2019
After serving a tough time as a Real Madrid player and a loan move back to Spurs in 2021, Bale finally moved to MLS where he played 13 games for Los Angeles FC and scored three times.
Gareth Bale posted on Twitter about retiring from both club and international football and said: “From my very first touch at Southampton to my last with LAFC and everything in between, shaped a club career that I have immense pride and gratitude for.
“Playing for and captaining my country 111 times has truly been a dream come true. To show my gratitude to all of those that have played their part along this journey, feels like an impossibility.
— Gareth Bale (@GarethBale11) January 9, 2023
“I feel indebted to many people for helping to change my life and shape my career in a way I couldn’t have ever dreamed of when I first started out at 9 years old.”- He further added.
Gareth Frank Bale is a Welsh legend, having played 108 times for the country and scoring 41 important goals while leading his nation to the quarterfinals of the 2018 Euro tournament.
Quand Gareth Bale distançait Marc Bartra avec un sprint hors du terrain. 🚀🤯
Totalement mythique.
🎥 @realmadridarab pic.twitter.com/qS4NPpvEOd
— Actu Foot (@ActuFoot_) January 9, 2023
Nobody could catch Bale when he used to gallop, for the electrifying nature of his game. We wish him every bit of luck in his future endeavors.
