Gareth Bale
Gareth Frank Bale is a Welsh former professional footballer who played as a winger, most notably for Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid and the Wales national team. He is widely regarded as one of the best footballers of his generation and one of the greatest Welsh players of all time. He was known for his explosive pace, athleticism, and powerful strikes from distance. Bale began his professional career at Southampton, playing at left-back before moving to Tottenham in 2007. From the 2009–10 season, under the guidance of Harry Redknapp, Bale became an integral part of the team and transformed into a winger. He went on to receive several individual honours, including two PFA Players' Player of the Year awards and three PFA Team of the Year inclusions. In September 2013, Real Madrid signed Bale for a then world-record transfer fee of £85.1 million (€100.8 million). Being part of the subsequent trio dubbed BBC, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, Bale helped the club to win the Copa del Rey and the Champions League, scoring in both finals. Bale was amongst the top three nominees for the 2015–16 UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award, scored an overhead kick in Real Madrid's 2018 UEFA Champions League Final victory, and was awarded the FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball in 2018. In 2020–21, he returned to Tottenham on loan, before playing his final season in Madrid. In his nine-year tenure, Bale won 15 trophies, including three La Liga titles and five Champions Leagues. He joined MLS club Los Angeles FC in July 2022 before retiring in January 2023, aged 33. Bale made his senior international debut for Wales in May 2006, becoming the youngest player at that point to represent the nation. He then went on to earn 111 caps and scored 41 international goals, making him Wales' most capped player and top goalscorer of all time. He was the top scorer for Wales in their successful qualifying campaign for UEFA Euro 2016, scoring seven times; he subsequently represented Wales in the final tournament as they reached the semi-finals, scoring three goals. He later featured for the side at Euro 2020 and was pivotal in Wales' qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, ending a 64-year appearance drought at the World Cup. He was named Welsh Footballer of the Year a record six times.
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