Gareth Bale puts an immediate end to his career. The 33-year-old former player of Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid, among others, announced it on Monday.
Rumors about the end of Bale’s career have been circulating for some time. The winger, who still had a contract with the American Los Angeles FC until next summer, has been plagued by injuries in recent years and lacks the motivation to continue.
“I’m facing the next step in my life. It’s time for change, for an opportunity for a new adventure,” Bale said on social media in a statement declarationin which he further thanked everyone who played a part in his career.
“From my first touch for Southampton to my last touch at LAFC, it’s been a career I’m immensely proud of and grateful for. Playing for my country 111 times and being captain has been a dream come true.”
Gareth Bale’s beautiful career pictured
Bale has become a star player at Tottenham
Bale started his career at Southampton and then caused years of buzz on the left wing for Tottenham. In the summer of 2013, the Welshman moved to Real Madrid for more than 100 million euros. He made him the most expensive player ever.
At Real, Bale, who became a teammate of Cristiano Ronaldo, among others, never lived up to high expectations, partly due to injuries. However, he gave ‘De Koninklijke’ the Champions League in 2018 by scoring twice in the final against Liverpool, once with a fabulous overhead kick. Bale won Europe’s top club tournament five times with Real, also celebrated three domestic titles with the club and scored 106 times in 258 games.
Last summer he left Real, who once leased him to his old club Tottenham for LAFC. In American service, Bale has played fourteen games and scored three goals in recent months.
As an international, Bale (111 games, 41 goals) was instrumental in Wales’ first two European Championship appearances – in 2016 and 2021 – and in his country’s first World Cup ticket in 64 years. At the European Championship in 2016, the semi-finals were also reached. Wales were stuck in the group stage of the World Cup in Qatar over a month ago. The group match lost to England (0-3) now appears to be the last match in Bale’s fine career.
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