Gareth Bale may have played only 290 minutes of club football over the past 12 months, but he still possesses the quality and ability to be one of the most influential footballers when given the opportunity.
Bale achieved his dream with a mega-money move to Real Madrid in 2013 which set the Spanish giants back by €100million – a world record transfer fee at the time. Notwithstanding a topsy-turvy final few years with Los Blancos, the hefty investment on the then-24-year-old star has undeniably paid dividends with Bale collecting 19 trophies in nine years with Real.
(Photo by Angel Martinez/Real Madrid via Getty Images)
In recent years gone by, Bale has frequently been on the receiving end of a plethora of criticism, partially from Real supporters but more so from the Spanish media, this in spite of the Wales winger being one of their best performers over the past decade.
Bale was responsible for a handful of crucial goals during his time with Los Blancos. In his debut season he conjured a mind-blowing goal in the 2014 Copa del Rey final against Barcelona, running off the field of play and onto the touchline before beating his marker Marc Bartra to retrieve the ball and bury it between the goalkeeper’s legs and into the back of the net.
Bale’s sublime concoction was ultimately the winning goal which won Real its first Spanish Cup in three years. In that same season he scored a header in the UEFA Champions League final as Real came from behind to beat city rivals Atlético, 4-1, and secure a first European cup for 12 years.
Bale comprised a formidable attacking trio together with Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema (dubbed as ‘BBC’) which helped Real to become the first club to defend its Champions League crown as well as win three successive European titles.
(Photo by Helios de la Rubia/Real Madrid via Getty Images)
Since bagging a stunning brace in the 2018 Champions League final, Bale’s Real career has been accentuated by a substantial question mark. He fell out of favour in Zinédine Zidane’s second spell as boss and in late 2019 the Welsh wide-man famously unveiled a national flag embedded with six words: Wales, Golf, Madrid. In that order.
Bale featured just 20 times (starting 14 out of 51 games across four competitions) for Real in the 2019/20 season and he was loaned out the following campaign. Almost instantly he was stripped of his abiding #11 jersey in Madrid, with Spanish winger Marco Asensio named the new and current incumbent of Real’s #11 jersey.
Bale completed a long-awaited homecoming to Tottenham, on a loan deal, in 2020/21 during which time he proved that he is still cut out for the most physically demanding domestic league in world football. Another return to the Premier League this year could well be on the cards for the Wales captain.
(Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Offside via Getty Images)
He flourished under the tutelage of José Mourinho, producing a goal or assist every 99 minutes playing for the Portuguese head coach. The attacker has not mustered a better goal involvement per minutes ratio under any other manager he has played under for more than 15 matches. After returning to Madrid, Bale played only seven games this term – scoring a single goal and averaging 41 minutes per appearance.
With one month remaining on his deal at the Santiago Bernabéu, the British forward recently posted a touching written letter of thanks to the club and its supporters, accompanied by a tribute video containing some of his greatest moments in a Real jersey. The three-minute clip served as a stark reminder of his importance to Real’s success during his stay in the Spanish capital.
It has been an honour. Thank you! #HALAMADRID @RealMadrid pic.twitter.com/T7FL2LNRrD
— Gareth Bale (@GarethBale11) June 1, 2022
Possessing five UCL winner’s medals is truly invaluable experience, not to mention something that very few footballers can claim, and it may prove essential to his next employers.
There have been persistent whispers of the Welsh wizard potentially hanging up his boots once his contract in Madrid expires, presumably in favour of committing more time to golf, although his major contributions towards the Red Dragons earning qualification for its first FIFA World Cup since 1958 suggests Bale will resume in his football career for the foreseeable future.
In the meantime he will likely be involved on Wednesday evening when his country takes on Netherlands in their 2022/23 UEFA Nations League group phase encounter.
We’re going to the @FIFAWorldCup! A dream come true! @Cymru 🏴🐉 pic.twitter.com/IODneQsKcx
— Gareth Bale (@GarethBale11) June 6, 2022
Bale also guided Wales to its first-ever appearance at the UEFA European Championships in 2016, where he scored three goals (joint-second highest) at the tournament as his nation emphatically reached the semifinals in France.
In August 2011, Wales were ranked a record low 117th as per the FIFA World Rankings. Present day the Red Dragons are placed 18th by FIFA and are heading to a first World Cup showpiece for more than half a century, with massive thanks to the inventiveness and persistence of their skipper.
Bale turns 33 next month but evidently he still has that same fire in his belly. He remains a true force to be reckoned with, provided he is given ample circumstances to flourish.
