After several years as a professional footballer, Gareth Bale has called time on his football career. The Welsh international is one of the most successful British men to play the game.
The only constant thing in life is change. No matter what time catches up with everything. Good things, they say, have a funny way of coming to an end. It is the beauty of life and the pain we have to endure. So while we have the time, it is best to enjoy the moment because, at the end of everything, the memories we create are what we have.
Some players come and leave an indelible mark on the sands of time, while others pass through almost unnoticed. Some players are great, and it is hard to forget their contributions to the game. They leave us with fond memories. They remind us why the great Pele called football the beautiful game.
Gareth Bale is undoubtedly a great player and has made several top contributions to football. The journey from Southampton to Tottenham and Real Madrid has been fantastic. He is a legend of the game, but it is time for superman to drop the cape. Gareth Bale has announced his retirement from professional football.
Gareth Bale calls time on his professional career
After several years of playing at the top, Gareth Bale has decided the time is right to bow out. At 33, the Welsh international has announced his retirement from the game.
The surprise announcement came on Monday in a statement the former Tottenham player made on his social media channels. The motive behind the move to retire is still unknown.
Bale has enjoyed an illustrious career littered with many accolades. At every club he has played for, the Welsh man has excelled. Bale’s fantastic performances at Southampton saw him join Tottenham and Real Madrid. The move to LAFC signaled that he was on his way out, but the announcement to quit the game is perhaps a shock.
In the statement, Bale said he had given careful and thoughtful consideration to the idea, and was retiring from club and international football. He continued he felt incredibly fortunate to have realized his dream of playing the sport. Bale also posited that football had given him some of the best moments of his life. He claims the 17 seasons he enjoyed would be hard to replicate even in the next chapter of his life.
A history of success
Gareth Bale did not taste success until he left England. He joined Real Madrid on 1 September 2013 for what the British media reported as a world record transfer fee of £85.3 million (€100 million). It eclipsed the transfer record held by Cristiano Ronaldo – £80 million (€94 million). It was with Los Blancos that Bale established himself as one of the best players in the world.
Bale won his first trophy in 2013. Following an injury-ridden first half of the season, Bale returned to score a fantastic goal against Barcelona in the final of the Copa Del Rey. He scored in other finals, including two Champions League. He scored twice against Liverpool in 2018 in a 3-1 win and once against Atletico Madrid in a 4-1 rout.
Bale won three La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey and five Champions Leagues (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2022). Perhaps not entirely a Real Madrid legend, as he was frozen out of the team towards the tail end of his spell with the club. He went on a season loan at Tottenham but could not get his Real Madrid career back on track. After one more season with Los Blancos, he left for LAFC, where he has now retired from the game.
