Welshman Gareth Bale retires

Gareth Bale at Cardiff City Stadium on March 24, 2022.

“The decision to retire from football was, by far, the most difficult of my career. » A page turns for Gareth Bale. In a press release published on his social networks, the Welsh international let it be known, Monday, January 9, that he is hanging up his crampons in club and in selection. Sacred, in December 2022, champion of Major Soccer League, the American championship, with the Los Angeles Football Club, he ended his professional career, which began in 2006 in England with Southampton FC, then in the second division.

Trained as a left-back, he first shone on British lawns with the Saints before joining Tottenham in May 2007, with whom he won the League Cup in 2008. Replaced left winger, his heavy strikes scored Spurs supporters and opponents. He scored 55 goals in six seasons with the London club.

In 2013, Real Madrid recruited him for nearly 100 million euros. An amount that made him, at the time, the most expensive player in history. Replaced on the right, the left-hander filled his trophy cabinet for nine seasons. In total, Gareth Bale has won five Champions League, three Spanish leagues, one Spanish Cup, three Spanish Super Cups, three UEFA Super Cups and four FIFA Club World Cups.

In selection at 16 years old

On May 27, 2006, when he was only 16 years and 315 days old, Gareth Bale honored his first selection against Trinidad and Tobago (2-1 victory). He then becomes the youngest player to have worn the colors of Wales. He is also the youngest player to score for this selection at 17 years, 2 months and 22 days.

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With his country, he brilliantly managed to reach the semi-finals of Euro 2016, where the Welsh lost against Portugal (2-0). During Euro 2021, the road was stopped in the round of 16 against Denmark (0-4).

Present in Qatar during the 2022 World Cup, he became, despite being eliminated in the group stage, the most capped player in the history of his selection for which he wore the jersey 111 times, scored 40 goals and distributed 22 assists. decisive.

Football fans remember his victorious acrobatic return against Liverpool in the 2018 Champions League final. But despite his sumptuous goals and the myriad of titles won with Real Madrid, all was not rosy with Meringue for Gareth Bale.

A time dismissed by Zinédine Zidane, Real coach at the time, the Welsh international preferred to laugh with his selection teammates. To celebrate qualifying for Euro 2021, the Madrid native brandished a Welsh flag embroidered with a scathing “Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order”, translatable as “Wales.” Golf. Madrid. In this order “. An assumed gesture to show that his country and golf were more important to him than the great Spanish club.

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