33-year-old former Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid star winger from Wales had just issued an statement about his retirement from both club and international football, with immediate effect via his personal Instagram account today. The news came after the once sensational left flanker struggled for years due to poor form and a series of injuries that saw him move away from Europe to have a second chance in Major League Soccer; The Wales national football team that was captained by him in the recent 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar also suffered zero wins in three Group B fixtures, scoring only one goal as a result.
He dedicated his retirement from club and country football via two social media posts, one addressed his fans gained from club level while the other aimed at his Welsh fans.
“I Feel Indebted to Many People for Helping to Change My Life and Shape My Career…”
In his first retirement post, the Cardiff-born player said that, “I feel incredibly fortunate to have realised my dream of playing the sport I love. It has truly given me some of the best moments of my life. The highest of highs over 17 seasons, that will be impossible to replicate, no matter what the next chapter has in store for me,” and also showed his full appreciation towards everyone who has supported him since Day 1, “To show my gratitude to all of those that have played their part along this journey, feels like an impossibility. 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.”
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“The Fortune of Being Welsh and Being Selected to Play for and Captain Wales, Has Given Me Something Incomparable to Anything Else I’ve Experienced.”
His emotion over the retirement decision was further displayed in the second retirement post, which was specifically directed to his large Welsh fan base, it read, “I shared a dressing room with boys that became brothers, and back room staff that became family, I played for the most incredible managers, and felt the undying support and love from the most dedicated fans in the world. Thank you to every one of you for being on this journey with me. So for now I am stepping back, but not away from the team that lives in me and runs through my veins. After all, the dragon on my shirt is all I need.”
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185 Goals Scored Throughout His Career
Gareth Bale has played for five different clubs, since making his debut for Southampton back in 2005. His career took a drastic change when he switched his position from left-back to left winger, and lifted his career to a new heights as a result. The final three seasons of his Spurs tenure saw him bag 49 goals for the team from London, earning his personal accolades such as Premier League Player of the Season, PFA Players’ Player of the Year (2), PFA Young Player of the Year, etc.
Great performance after great performance caught the attention of major clubs in Europe and Real Madrid emerged victorious in getting Bale’s signature, which was then the most expensive transfer in the history of football (£85.3 million or €100 million), eclipsing Cristiano Ronaldo’s lavish transfer to Los Blancos from another Premier League club, Manchester United. It was in the all-white jersey that witnessed the ups and downs of Bale’s career in club football, because none of those eight seasons in Spain surpassed his goal scoring record in his final season in England (26 goals).
Bale was a regular starter for Los Blancos earlier in his career there, but as time progressed and injuries suffered, he slowly became a benchwarmer despite being able to deploy to score important goals. Pivotal goals under his belt for Real Madrid included a winning goal with five minutes remaining against rival Barcelona in the 2014 Copa del Rey Final, three goals in the UEFA Champions League Finals (A record that is only bettered by Cristiano Ronaldo’s four in three finals). Nevertheless, his final two seasons with Los Blancos saw him only register four goals in 27 appearances for the club.
Gareth Bale = the ultimate big game player 🔥
— SPORTbible (@sportbible) January 9, 2023
Most Appearances and Goals for Wales
In international level, Bale made his debut in 2006 and has a record-breaking 111 appearances for his country 17-year international career; His 41 goals for Wales is also the best ever record in the country, with a ratio of 0.37 goal per game. Moreover, the 33-year-old Gareth Bale can take pride in his contribution in Wales’ incredible run to finish third in the 2016 UEFA European Football Championship and make it his foremost achievement in international level; He scored three goals for his country in the tournament.
Bale may have gone through tough moments and periods during his career, but it is safe to say football fans were blessed to witness how the speedy flanker tore opposing defence game after game and scored sensational goals in the last 17 years. Happy retirement, Bale!
Ferran Torres and Stefan Savić had themselves sent off after a brawl in the Spanish La Liga.
