| General |
| Gareth Bale | ||
| ||
| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name: | Gareth Frank Bale | |
| Date of birth: | 16 July 1989 | |
| Place of birth: | Cardiff,  Wales
| |
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | |
| Playing position: | Winger | |
| Youth clubs | ||
1999–2006 |
Cardiff Civil Service Southampton
| |
| Senior clubs | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls) |
| 2006–2007 2007–2013 2013–2022 2020–2021 2022–2023 Total |
Southampton Tottenham Hotspur Real Madrid → Tottenham Hotspur (loan) Los Angeles FC
|
40 (5) 146 (42) 176 (81) 20 (11) 12 (2) 394 (141) |
| National team | ||
| 2005–2006 2006 2006–2008 2006–2022 |
Wales U17 Wales U19 Wales U21 Wales
|
7 (1) 1 (1) 4 (2) 111 (41) |
Gareth Frank Bale MBE (born 16 July 1989) is a Welsh former professional footballer who played as a winger. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wingers of his generation and one of the greatest Welsh players of all time.
Bale began his professional career at Southampton, playing at left-back and earning acclaim as a free kick specialist. Bale moved to Tottenham Hotspur in 2007, for an eventual £7 million fee. During his time at Tottenham, managerial and tactical shifts saw him transform into a more attacking player. From the 2009–10 season, under the guidance of Harry Redknapp, Bale became an integral part of the team, rising to international attention during the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League. In 2011 and 2013 he was named PFA Players' Player of the Year, and was named in the UEFA Team of the Year. In 2013, he was also named PFA Young Player of the Year, the FWA Footballer of the Year and the Premier League Player of the Season. He was nominated to the PFA Team of the Year three times in a row between 2011 and 2013.
On 1 September 2013, Bale was transferred to Real Madrid for an undisclosed fee. Press at the time reported the transfer value at figures between €91 million and €100 million. In January 2016, documents pertaining to the transfer were leaked which confirmed a then-world record transfer fee of €100.8 million, eclipsing the previous record fee of £80 million (€94 million) the club paid for Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009. Bale played an integral role in his first season at Real Madrid, helping the club to win the 2013–14 Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League, scoring in both finals. The following season, he won the UEFA Super Cup and scored in a third major final to help the club win the FIFA Club World Cup. Two years later, he was a key player in another Champions League run, winning the 2015–16 title and being elected to the UEFA Squad of the Season. He was also a finalist in the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, and was named Man of the Match as he scored an overhead kick in the 2018 UEFA Champions League Final.
Bale made his senior international debut for Wales in May 2006, becoming the youngest player at that point to represent the nation. He has since earned over 80 caps and scored 33 international goals, making him Wales' highest scorer of all time. He was the top scorer for Wales in their successful qualifying campaign for UEFA Euro 2016, scoring seven goals; he subsequently represented his nation in the final tournament as they reached the semi-finals, scoring three goals. He has been named Welsh Footballer of the Year a record six times. In 2016, ESPN ranked Bale twelfth on its list of the world's most famous athletes.
Honours[]
Clubs[]
- Southampton Academy
- Premier Academy League: 2005–06
- Tottenham Hotspur
- League Cup: 2009 runner-up
- Real Madrid
- UEFA Champions League: 2013–14
- Copa del Rey: 2013–14
- UEFA Super Cup: 2014
- Los Angeles FC
- MLS Cup: 2022
- Supporters' Shield: 2022
Individual[]
- Football League Championship PFA Team of the Year: 2006–07
- Football League Young Player of the Year: 2007
- FAW Young Player of the Year: 2007
- Tottenham Hotspur Young Player of the Year: 2009–10,> 2010–11
- Wales Player of the Year Award: 2010, 2013, 2014
- BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year: 2010
- BBC Wales Carwyn James Junior Sportsman of the Year: 2006
- Premier League PFA Team of the Year: 2010–11, |2011–12, 2012–13
- FWA Footballer of the Year: 2012–13
- PFA Players' Player of the Year: 2010–11, 2012–13
- PFA Young Player of the Year: 2012–13
- UEFA Team of the Year: 2011, 2013
- Premier League Player of the Month: April 2010, January 2012, February 2013
External links[]
- Real Madrid profile
Gareth Bale FIFA competition record- Wales profile
- Premier League profile
- ESPN Soccernet Profile
- Transfermarkt Profile
- Gareth Bale profile at Soccerbase
| Wales
|
| Wales – UEFA Euro 2016 – semi-finalists |
|
1. Hennessey
2. Gunter
3. Taylor
4. Davies
5. Chester
6. A. Williams
7. Allen
8. King
9. Robson-Kanu
10. Ramsey
11. Bale
12. Fôn Williams
13. G. Williams
14. Edwards
15. Richards
16. Ledley
17. Cotterill
18. Vokes
19. Collins
20. J. Williams
21. Ward
22. Vaughan
23. Church
Manager: |
| Wales – UEFA Euro 2020 – Round of 16 |
|
1. Hennessey
2. Gunter
3. N. Williams
4. B. Davies
5. Lockyer
6. Rodon
7. Allen
8. Wilson
9. T. Roberts
10. Ramsey
11. Bale (c)
12. Ward
13. Moore
14. C. Roberts
15. Ampadu
16. Morrell
17. Norrington-Davies
18. J. Williams
19. Brooks
20. James
21. A. Davies
22. Mepham
23. Levitt
24. Cabango
25. Colwill
26. Smith
Manager: |
| Wales – 2022 FIFA World Cup – Group stage |
|
1. Hennessey
2. Gunter
3. N. Williams
4. B. Davies
5. Mepham
6. Rodon
7. Allen
8. Wilson
9. Johnson
10. Ramsey
11. Bale (c)
12. Ward
13. Moore
14. Roberts
15. Ampadu
16. Morrell
17. Lockyer
18. J. Williams
19. Harris
20. James
21. A. Davies
22. Thomas
23. Levitt
24. Cabango
25. Colwill
26. Smith
Manager: |