Gareth Bale

Gareth Frank Bale is a Welsh professional footballer. He plays as a winger for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, on loan from Real Madrid of La Liga, and the Wales national team. Bale is known for his ball striking from distance, swerving free kicks, and his ability to get past defenders with pace. In 2016, ESPN ranked Bale twelfth on its list of the world’s most famous athletes.

About Gareth Bale in brief

Summary Gareth BaleGareth Frank Bale is a Welsh professional footballer. He plays as a winger for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, on loan from Real Madrid of La Liga, and the Wales national team. Bale is known for his ball striking from distance, swerving free kicks, and his ability to get past defenders with pace. 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. Bale was born in Cardiff, Wales, to parents Frank, a school caretaker, and Debbie Bale, an operations manager. He attended Eglwys Newydd Primary School in Whitchurch. He played football alongside future Wales rugby captain Sam Warburton, rugby, hockey and excelled at athletics. He is the nephew of former Cardiff City footballer Chris Pike. Bale made his debut for Southampton at the age of 16 years and 275 days. On April 17, 2006, he became the second youngest player ever to play for Southampton against Millwall. He made his senior international debut for Wales in May 2006, becoming the youngest player at that point to represent the nation. Bale has since earned over 80 caps and scored 33 international goals, making him Wales’ highest scorer of all time. He was nominated to the PFA Team of the year three times in a row between 2011 and 2013. 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. On 1 September 2013, Bale was transferred to Real Madrid for an undisclosed fee. 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 the club paid for Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009. In his final year at school he was awarded the PE department’s prize for his services to sport. In the presentation, PE teacher Gwyn Morris commented: “Gareth has a fierce determination to succeed and has the character and qualities to achieve his personal goals” He is one of the most unselfish individuals that I have had the pleasure to help educate and help educate. He says that as a 14-year-old he says that he ran the 100-metre sprint in 11. 4 seconds. Bale says that at 16 he was playing one-touch football and not using his left foot. He helped the Cardiff team win the Cardiff Cup  in the summer of 2005 with a Grade A in PE amongst other GCSE results. He also helped the school’s under-18 team win the Cardiff & Vale Senior Cup.