The Greatest Welsh Player
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Who is Gareth Bale?
Bale was born July 16, 1989, in Cardiff, Wales. His parents are Frank and Debbie Bale. His father is a school caretaker, and his mother is an operations manager.
Bale has soccer in his blood as he is the nephew of Chris Pike, a former Welsh soccer player. His talent was recognized at just nine years old when he got the attention of Southampton Football Club.
When he was 16, he would be the second-youngest player to play for Southampton. When Bale played for Southampton, he began playing as a left-back and earned his reputation as a free-kick specialist.
He would then move on to play with Tottenham Hotspur in 2007 but suffered ligament damage to his right ankle from a tackle which caused him to sit on the sidelines for an extended time. He would not return to play until August 2008.
Bale gained much of his success and international attention playing for Tottenham Hotspur for six years from 2007-13. In 2010 while playing alongside Assou-Ekotto, Bale’s manager chose to move him to the left wing.
In this position, he assisted goals and scored them as well. He joined Real Madrid from September 2013 to 2022. Bale also briefly played for Los Angeles FC on a 12-month contract from 2022 to 2023.
Bale, with much success, earned many awards throughout his career. A few awards were Tottenham Hotspur Young Player of the Year for 2009-10 and the 2010-11 season. Then he earned Tottenham Hotspur Player of the Year for the 2012-13 season.
Bale also was well recognized in Welsh as he earned Welsh Footballer of the Year for six years from 2010-16, except for 2012. In addition, he earned Premier League Player of the Month for April 2010, January 2012, and February 2013. In 2013, he earned all three awards: Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Men’s Players’ Player of the Year, PFA Young Player of the Year, and Football Writers’ Association (FWA) Footballer of the Year.
Bale set records, such as being the first Welshman to score a goal in a European Cup/ Champions League final when he scored in the 110th minute of extra time against Atlético Madrid in the 2014 UEFA Champions League Final. He would also become the third player to score a hat-trick in a FIFA Club World Cup, winning the FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball in 2018.
After great success and many accomplishments, soccer player Gareth Bale decided to retire from professional football at the age of 33. He announced it in a tweet post on January 9, which briefly states, “After careful and thoughtful consideration, I announce my immediate retirement from the club and international football. I feel incredibly fortunate to have realized my dream of playing the sport I love.”
It surprised everyone because he is still young; on average, many soccer players retire at the age of 35. He mentions in another tweet, “My decision to retire from international football has been, by far, the hardest of my career.” Bale explains that it was difficult to make his decision, but he is grateful for being able to play and captain Wales.
He concludes, “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.” We all saw his great talent on the field, and although he steps away at a young age, we wish him well on his next journey in life.
