After 9 years since joining Real Madrid, Gareth Bale will finally make his move away from the 14-time Champion’s League winners. Bale had a difficult time at Madrid since returning from Tottenham, with most games not even playing at all.
In total for Madrid, he played 176 games with an impressive 81 goals scored. For the time being, it is uncertain where Gareth Bale’s future will stand as the Welshman turns 33 this July.
Bale’s letter to Real Madrid fans:
I write this message to say thank you to all my team mates, past and present, my managers, the back room staff and to the fans that supported me.
I arrived here 9 years ago as a young man who wanted to realise my dreams of playing for Real Madrid. To wear the pristine white kit, to wear the crest on my chest, to play at the Santiago Bernabeu, to win titles and to be part of what it’s so famous for, to win the Champions League.
I can now look back, reflect and say with honest that this dream became a reality and much, much more.
To be a part of this club’s history and to acheive what we acheived while I was a Real Madrid player, has been an incredible experience and one I will never forget.
I also want to thank President Florentino Perez, Jose Angel Sanchez, and the board for giving me the opportunity to play for this club. Together we were able to create some moments that will live forever in the history of this club and football.
It has been an honour.
Thank you!
HALA MADRID!
-Gareth Bale
Gareth Frank Bale (born 16 July 1989) is a Welsh professional footballer who plays as a winger for the Wales national team. He is widely regarded as one of the best wingers of his generation, one of the greatest Welsh players of all time, and the best British player of his generation. His standout abilities during his peak years were his exceptional pace, strength, stamina, technique, and ball control.
Bale began his professional career at Southampton, playing at left-back and earning acclaim as a free kick specialist. Bale moved to Tottenham Hotspur in 2007, for an eventual £7 million fee. During his time at Tottenham, managerial and tactical shifts saw him transform into a more attacking player. From the 2009–10 season, under the guidance of Harry Redknapp, Bale became an integral part of the team, rising to international attention during the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League. In 2011 and 2013 he was named PFA Players’ Player of the Year, and was named in the UEFA Team of the Year. In 2013, he was also named PFA Young Player of the Year, the FWA Footballer of the Year and the Premier League Player of the Season. He was nominated to the PFA Team of the Year three times in a row between 2011 and 2013.
Bale was transferred to Real Madrid in 2013 for an undisclosed fee, which was confirmed to be a world record transfer fee of £85.1 million (€100.8 million). Being part of the subsequent trio dubbed BBC, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, Bale helped the club to win the 2013–14 Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League, scoring in both finals. The following season, he won the UEFA Super Cup and scored in a third major final to help the club win the FIFA Club World Cup. He went onto win La Liga titles in 2016–17, 2019–20 and 2021–22 La Liga and win four additional Champions League titles; notably he scored with an overhead kick in the 2018 UEFA Champions League Final win.
On 19 September 2020, Bale returned to Tottenham Hotspur on a season-long loan. He came off the bench to score the winner in Tottenham’s 2–1 home win over Brighton & Hove Albion on 1 November, his first goal since returning to the club. On 3 December, Bale scored his 200th career goal in a 3–3 draw against LASK in the Europa League. He scored a brace and got an assist in a 4–0 win over Burnley on 28 February 2021. Bale once again scored twice in Tottenham’s 4–1 victory against Crystal Palace on 7 March, bringing his tally to six goals in six games. On 2 May, Bale scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 win against Sheffield United. The hat-trick was only his second in the Premier League and his first since his return to Tottenham. On 23 May 2021, Bale came off the bench to score two goals against Leicester City in a 4–2 away victory which led Tottenham to a 7th-place finish, ensuring qualification to the Europa Conference League.
Bale made his senior international debut for Wales in May 2006, becoming the youngest player at that point to represent Wales. He has since earned over 100 caps and scored 38 international goals, making him Wales’ top goalscorer of all time. He was the top scorer for Wales in their successful qualifying campaign for UEFA Euro 2016, scoring seven goals; he subsequently represented Wales in the final tournament as they reached the semi-finals, scoring three goals. He also subsequently featured for the side at UEFA Euro 2020. He has been named Welsh Footballer of the Year a record six times. In 2016, ESPN ranked Bale twelfth on its list of the world’s most famous athletes.
