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_(cropped).jpg) Bale with Wales at the 2022 FIFA World Cup | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gareth Frank Bale[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 16 July 1989[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Cardiff, Wales | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.86 m)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Winger | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Cardiff Civil Service | |||
| 1999–2006 | Southampton | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2006–2007 | Southampton | 40 | (5) |
| 2007–2013 | Tottenham Hotspur | 146 | (42) |
| 2013–2022 | Real Madrid | 176 | (81) |
| 2020–2021 | → Tottenham Hotspur (loan) | 20 | (11) |
| 2022–2023 | Los Angeles FC | 12 | (2) |
| Total | 394 | (141) | |
| International career | |||
| 2005–2006 | Wales U17 | 7 | (1) |
| 2006 | Wales U19 | 1 | (1) |
| 2006–2008 | Wales U21 | 4 | (2) |
| 2006–2022 | Wales | 111 | (41) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Gareth Frank Bale MBE (born 16 July 1989) is a Welsh former professional footballer who played as a winger, most notably for Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid and the Wales national team. He is widely regarded as one of the best footballers of his generation and one of the greatest Welsh players of all time.[2][3][4][5] He was best known for his explosive pace, athleticism, and powerful strikes from distance.
Bale began his professional career at Southampton, playing at left-back before moving to Tottenham in 2007. From the 2009–10 season, under the guidance of Harry Redknapp, Bale became an integral part of the team and transformed into a winger. He went on to receive several individual honours, including two PFA Players' Player of the Year awards and three PFA Team of the Year inclusions. In September 2013, Real Madrid signed Bale for a then 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 Copa del Rey and the Champions League, scoring in both finals.
He was amongst the top three nominees for the 2015–16 UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award, scored an overhead kick in Real Madrid's 2018 UEFA Champions League Final victory, and was awarded the FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball in 2018. In 2020–21, he returned to Tottenham on loan, before playing his final season in Madrid. In his nine-year tenure, Bale won 15 trophies, including three La Liga titles and five Champions Leagues. He joined MLS club Los Angeles FC in July 2022 before retiring in January 2023, aged 33.
Bale made his senior international debut for Wales in May 2006, becoming the youngest player at that point to represent the nation. He then went on to earn 111 caps and scored 41 international goals, making him Wales' most capped player and top goalscorer of all time. He was the top scorer for Wales in their successful qualifying campaign for UEFA Euro 2016, scoring seven times; he subsequently represented Wales in the final tournament as they reached the semi-finals, scoring three goals. He later featured for the side at Euro 2020 and was pivotal in Wales' qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, ending a 64-year appearance drought at the World Cup. He was named Welsh Footballer of the Year a record six times.
- ^ a b c "FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™: List of Players: Wales" (PDF). FIFA. 15 November 2022. p. 32. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 November 2022.
- ^ "'Gareth Bale probably the best left winger in the Premier League if not in Europe' – Everton's Phil Neville on the Tottenham star". Goal.com. Archived from the original on 14 July 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
- ^ Richards, Alex. "The 15 Best Wingers in World Football". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on 13 May 2021. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
- ^ Potts Harmer, Alfie (25 December 2019). "7 Greates Right Wingers of the decade". HITC Football. Archived from the original on 28 January 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
- ^ "The 5 best Welsh Football Players of all-time". The Sporting Blog. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
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