When someone plays for one of the world’s most famous football clubs, there is inevitably a lot of interest among fans. And if that player has the highest transfer fee in 2016, you know we’re talking about none other than Gareth Frank Bale, the dynamic Welsh and Real Madrid footballer. Bale, who is known across the world for his speed and accuracy, has carved out a place for himself in a team that includes several of the best players in the world. ‘The Real Madrid’ star has been a professional football player for almost a decade and has wowed millions of fans with his abilities. Bale has won numerous accolades and honors during his illustrious career as a player for important games. He has not let the fact that he is playing with some of the biggest names in the world overshadow his ability to play brilliant football anytime he takes the field.
Childhood and Adolescence
Frank and Debbie Bale gave birth to Gareth Frank Bale on July 16, 1989, in Cardiff, Wales. His father, a local school caretaker, and mother, a local operations manager, enrolled him in Whitchurch’s ‘Eglwys Newydd Primary School,’ where he was noticed by Southampton football club scouts. At the time, he was only nine years old.
Bale attended ‘Whitchurch High School’ after finishing his basic education, when his athletic abilities drew the attention of the authorities. Aside from football, he was also a fixture on the rugby and hockey fields, succeeding in all three. He had won the ‘Cardiff & Vale Senior Cup’ and the school award for services to sport by the time he left high school in 2005.
Career of Gareth Bale
Bale was drafted into the ‘Southampton football club’ in 2006, just a year after graduating from high school, making him the club’s second-youngest player ever. In a 2-2 tie with ‘Derby County,’ he scored his first club goal.
Bale was named ‘BBC Wales Young Sports Personality of the Year’ while at Southampton. At the time, he was regarded as a free kick expert, having scored three of the club’s five goals from free kicks. He played 45 times for Southampton, the last of which was on May 12, 2007 against ‘Derby County’.
He was signed by ‘Tottenham Hotspur’ in a five million pound deal within two weeks. He had an early impact for the team, scoring three goals in his first four appearances, including one against a powerful ‘Arsenal’ team.
After sustaining an injury in a league game against ‘Birmingham City,’ the tide shifted against Bale. He was ruled out for the remainder of the season due to ligament injury in his right ankle. After signing a new four-year contract with the club, he returned to the team the following season. However, due to his poor performance, he was forced to sit out the majority of the season.
The next year, he had knee surgery and returned to the field. He went on to score key goals against a variety of opponents, including ‘Arsenal’ and ‘Chelsea,’ assisting the ‘Spurs’ in qualifying for the ‘Champions League’ in 2009.
For the next three seasons, Bale remained with the ‘Spurs,’ scoring critical goals against major opponents. During that time, the ‘Spurs’ were unable to win any major championships. Bale, on the other hand, was outstanding and took home numerous honors, including the PFA Players’ ‘Player of the Year’ and ‘Young Player of the Year,’ as well as the FWA Footballer of the Year,’ making him only the second player in history to win all three major categories in the same season (2012-13). Bale appeared in 203 appearances for the Spurs, scoring 55 goals.
Other clubs had been interested in him for some time, and he finally opted to join ‘Real Madrid’ in the second half of 2013. The contract was for six years, although the amount was not disclosed at the time. Speculation abounds as to how much ‘Real Madrid’ spent for Bale, and it was officially announced in January 2016 to be 100.8 million Euros, a global record at the moment, exceeding Cristiano Ronaldo’s 94 million.
Bale had an immediate impact on his new team and fans by scoring a goal against ‘Villarreal.’ However, injuries plagued his season, and he missed several key games following that, appearing in only five of Real’s next 16 games.
Bale’s performance continued to impress after he was in shape, earning him the moniker ‘The Cannon.’ During this time, his most notable goal came in the 2014 Copa del Rey final against archrivals ‘Barcelona.’ In the 2014 ‘UEFA Champions League Final,’ he also scored the game-winning goal against his neighbors, ‘Atletico Madrid.’
His performance dipped the next season. He did play an important role in the team’s success, scoring and assisting on several occasions. He continued his tendency of scoring in finals, as he scored the game-winning goal against ‘San Lorenzo,’ enabling his club win the ‘Club World Cup.’
Bale had a successful 2015-16 season. He was a consistent starter for the squad and a key contributor to their success. Against ‘Rayo Vallecano’ and ‘Deportivo de La Coruna,’ he scored two hat-tricks this season. He now has 43 goals in ‘La Liga,’ overtaking Gary Linekar as the best scoring British player in the competition.
Bale signed a new contract with Real Madrid at the start of the 2016-17 season, extending his tenure at the club until 2022. Despite missing the majority of the season due to an ankle injury, he appeared in 19 games for ‘Real Madrid,’ one of which being the 2017 ‘UEFA Champions League’ final.
The great player had a successful 2017-18 season, as his team won both the UEFA Super Cup and the Supercopa de Espana. In the 2018 ‘UEFA Champions League’ finals versus ‘Liverpool,’ he scored two goals, becoming the first substitute to do so in the League finals. He was named ‘Man of the Match’ for his efforts.
Bale scored a hat-trick in the 2018 ‘FIFA Club World Cup’ semi-finals against ‘Kashima Antlers.’ After Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suárez, he became the third player in the history of the ‘FIFA Club World Cup’ to score a hat-trick. In the finals, his club defeated ‘Al-Ain FC’ to win the ‘FIFA Club World Cup.’
Bale scored his 100th goal for ‘Real Madrid’ in a 3-1 win over cross-city rivals ‘Atlético Madrid’ on February 9, 2019. While he is now playing for ‘Real Madrid,’ there have been rumors that he may be transferred to a Chinese club with whom he is “enraged.”
Bale has been a member of the Wales national football team since he was 16 years old, in the 2005-2006 season. He was the youngest player to play for Wales at the time. Despite the fact that he was eligible to play for England, he preferred to stay with Wales. As of 2019, he has played 79 times for Wales, scoring 32 goals, surpassing Ian Rush as the all-time leading Welsh goal scorer. After scoring his first international hat-trick against China in the 2018 ‘China Cup,’ he overtook Rush.
Bale was also expected to compete in the 2012 ‘London Olympics.’ However, due to a dispute, the Welsh football association decided not to participate in the Great Britain team. Bale was willing to go against his country’s wishes in order to be a part of the Great Britain team. However, due to a back issue, he had to withdraw from the event.
Personal History and Legacy
Bale currently resides in Madrid with his fiancée Emma Rhys-Jones. Alba Violet and Nava Valentina, the couple’s two daughters, were born in 2012 and 2016, respectively. Alex Charles, their son, was born in 2018.
In his ten-year career, Bale has endorsed a number of worldwide brands, including ‘Adidas’ and ‘EA Sports.’ In fact, he was featured alongside Lionel Messi on the cover of EA Sports’ most successful game, “FIFA 14.”
Estimated Net Worth
This well-known football player has a net worth of $145 Million.