[247][248] [186] His goal saw him become the first Welsh player to score at a major international tournament since Terry Medwin's goal against Hungary at the 1958 FIFA World Cup. [4], Bale was born in Cardiff, Wales, to parents Frank, a school caretaker, and Debbie Bale, an operations manager. [42] He was named Premier League Player of the Month for April 2010. [34] That season he took part in the League Cup final against Manchester United. [204] The club's stance was supported by British Olympic Association chairman Lord Moynihan. He is the nephew of former Cardiff City footballer Chris Pike. [205], Tottenham released a statement in relation to Bale's non-selection for Team GB, they stated that "Gareth sustained an injury as he built up his fitness ahead of joining up with Stuart Pearce's side. [39], Bale's good form continued and he was named Player of the Round after helping Spurs to a 3–1 win in the sixth round replay of the FA Cup against Fulham. He scored his third brace of the season as he scored twice against Wigan, on 31 January to take his tally to ten goals for the season. [193][194], Bale, who met the age criteria to play in the 2012 London Olympics, said in May 2011 "I want to play in the Olympics" for the Great Britain Olympic football team, in defiance of the FAW. Bale returned to Spurs from Real Madrid on-loan in the summer, but he struggled for form, fitness, and confidence for much of the year. [52] On 19 March 2011, it was announced he would then extended his stay at the club until 2015. [267] Bale was interviewed in Episode 179 of The Erik Anders Lang Show podcast where he said his golf handicap was "between a three and a four. The first goal against Sheffield United was made in Liverpool's academy as Trent Alexander-Arnold hit a deflected cross for fellow academy graduate Curtis Jones to send past the otherwise impressive Sheffield goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale. He's almost unplayable when he's on his game. [195] On 28 October 2011, Bale became the first player to be photographed modelling the British 2012 London Olympics football supporters' shirt. Bale came off the bench in the 98th minute in extra time with the final result deadlocked at 0–0 resulting in a penalty shoot-out that ended 4–1 to Manchester United. [50] In the return match at White Hart Lane on 2 November, Bale provided a man-of-the-match performance, setting up goals for Peter Crouch and Roman Pavlyuchenko to earn Spurs a memorable 3–1 win. [71] On 5 January 2013, Bale scored in the FA Cup third round fixture against Coventry City as well as assisting Clint Dempsey on both of his goals in a 3–0 win. "Now he is better than ever," Mourinho said. ", Trademark application, media, endorsements and wealth, One appearance in UEFA Super Cup, one in Supercopa de España, two appearances and one goal in FIFA Club World Cup, One appearance in Supercopa de España, two appearances and three goals in FIFA Club World Cup, Tottenham Hotspur F.C. "[174], After a long injury lay-off, he returned and started in the World Cup qualifier against Finland on 10 October 2009. [47] On 29 September, Bale scored his first Champions League goal for Tottenham in a 4–1 home win against Dutch champions Twente in their second game of the group stages. Gareth Frank Bale (born 16 July 1989) is a Welsh professional footballer who plays as a winger for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, on loan from Real Madrid of La Liga, and the Wales national team. On 29 June, he advised the Team GB football manager, Stuart Pearce, that he would not be available for selection as he had aggravated an old back and hip injury during a training run. [146] He became the first substitute to score twice in a Champions League final and was named man of the match. [201] Between these matches, Bale also played against Liverpool when he was injured in a tackle by Charlie Adam. [183] He headed Jazz Richards' cross on 3 September in a 1–0 away win over Cyprus, putting Wales three points away from qualification. [250] On 17 July 2016, a day after his 27th birthday, Bale announced that he and Rhys-Jones had got engaged. [64] In January 2012, he was named Premier League Player of the Month for the second time in his career, after three goals and two assists in the Premier League for the month. A scan revealed that Bale had suffered ligament damage to his right ankle, consigning him to an extended period on the sidelines. Gareth Bale paid tribute to Tottenham's attacking prowess after the Welshman continued his improved run of form with a brace against Crystal Palace in Sunday's 4-1 victory. His skills, combined with his acceleration and physicality, allow him to get past defenders regularly and make runs into space, where he is able to score or create. [70], He scored his first Premier League hat-trick in a 4–0 away win on Boxing Day against Aston Villa. [184] With qualification to UEFA Euro 2016 achieved (the country's first major finals since the 1958 FIFA World Cup), on 13 October 2015, Bale scored his seventh goal of the qualifying campaign in Wales' final qualifier against Andorra at the Cardiff City Stadium. According to the Daily Mail, The Spanish giants remain focused on funding a move for either Kylian Mbappe or Erling Braut Haaland this summer.That would become increasingly possible if they can get rid of Bale’s enormous contract. Bale suffered an injury during the second half, preventing him from appearing in the second leg. [69] On 29 September, Bale scored the second goal in Tottenham's 3–2 away victory over Manchester United, their first win at Old Trafford since 1989. [31] Sporting Director of Tottenham, Damien Comolli said, "Even if the examination reveals that Gareth's foot is stable, the decision has been taken to bring him back slowly to ensure he does not get a repeat of the injury or suffer any further damage. Gareth Bale insists he has been ignoring his critics – and now hopes Tottenham can use their 4-0 win against Burnley to finish the season strongly. Gareth Bale is showing signs of an upturn in form (Image: Getty) “My understanding is around the facilities and training ground he’s been a positive person, a … [105] On 30 November, Bale rounded off the month with his first hat-trick for Real Madrid, as well as assisting Karim Benzema, in a 4–0 victory over Real Valladolid. [231][232][233] However, in spite of his playing ability, his playing time during his later seasons with Real Madrid was largely limited by recurring injury struggles. [168], Bale was selected by Wales at the end of the 2005–06 season for a friendly against Trinidad and Tobago on 27 May 2006. [188] Bale scored his third goal of the tournament in a 3–0 win over Russia, making him their all-time top scorer in major tournaments, ahead of Ivor Allchurch who scored twice in the 1958 World Cup; he also helped to create the second goal of the match, which was scored by Neil Taylor. He has the ability to perform and use his technique at great pace. Gareth can make his own choices and make his own decisions. Gareth Bale gets a hug from Serge Aurier. ", "Redknapp: Gareth Bale is the best player in the world", "Cristiano Ronaldo and the top 20 heading heroes of European football", "Why Gareth Bale is officially head and shoulders above Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney", "Breaking down Bale's injury-plagued Real Madrid career season by season", "Harry Redknapp pours praise on 'fantastic' Gareth Bale and insists he is not for sale", "Van der Vaart: Bale 'killed' Maicon in Spurs win", "Gareth Bale hailed by European press for 'destroying' Maicon", "Gareth Bale in Ronaldo and Messi's class, says Redknapp", "Liverpool top the diving league, but Gareth Bale is worst offender", "How can football solve a problem like diving? [25], Bale played his first game for Spurs in a friendly against St. Patrick's Athletic on 12 July 2007, but was substituted on the 80th minute with a minor dead leg. [84] A week later, on 2 May 2013, he added the FWA Footballer of the Year Award from the Football Writers' Association, making Bale one of only two players who have won all three in the same season – the other being Cristiano Ronaldo, who won them in 2007. There's nobody he couldn't play for. "[12], On 17 April 2006, at the age of 16 years and 275 days, Bale became the second youngest player ever to play for Southampton (after Theo Walcott, who was 132 days younger) when he made his debut in the Saints' 2–0 victory against Millwall. When quizzed why it has taken Bale so long to find form, Mourinho replied, in quotes carried by Marca: … His second, a long range dipping strike from over 30 yards, in the dying stages of the game, capped a world class performance. [79] Bale's run of good form in the early months of 2013 saw him win Premier League Player of the Month for February[80] as well as the BBC Goal of the Month in both January and February for his strikes against Norwich City and West Ham United respectively. [209] He is predominantly known for his speed, strength, stamina, and heading ability, but also possesses good technique and ball control. [144], The 2017–18 UEFA Champions League competition saw Bale scoring once prior to the final. [18], In December 2006, he won the Carwyn James Award for the BBC Wales Young Sports Personality of the Year,[19] and was named the Football League Young Player of the Year on 4 March 2007. [98] On 28 September 2013, Bale made his home debut as a second-half substitute in a 1–0 loss to local rivals Atlético Madrid. [164] He came off the bench to score the winner in Tottenham's 2–1 home win over Brighton & Hove Albion on 1 November, his first goal since returning to the club. 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. [176], In December 2010, Bale was awarded the BBC Cymru Sports Personality of the Year trophy. [81] On 4 April, Bale injured his right ankle in the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final against Basel. Bale moved to Tottenham Hotspur in 2007, for an eventual £7 million fee. [246], Bale lives in Madrid with his fiancée Emma Rhys-Jones, his high school sweetheart. [59] He continued his good form with the first goal in a 3–1 victory over Fulham the following week, whilst also setting up Aaron Lennon who made it 2–0 on the stroke of half time. [41] Three days later, Bale scored Tottenham's winning goal with his weaker right foot in a 2–1 victory over league leaders and eventual champions Chelsea and was named man of the match. 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. Gareth Bale’s form makes him this week’s top pick (PA graphic) His eight-points-per-game average is the highest over the period covered by FPL’s form rating, narrowly ahead of his fellow midfield recommendations in what is the most competitive area of the field. [75], In Bale's next game, he scored directly from two free kicks, one from 35 yards out just before half time and another from 25 yards out in the dying seconds of injury time, to give Tottenham a 2–1 victory over Lyon in the first leg of their Europa League round of 32 tie on 14 February. [190] Wales were eliminated following a 2–0 defeat to eventual champions Portugal in the semi-final of the tournament on 6 July. [264] Under the slogan "Together, we can beat Ebola", FIFA's campaign was done in conjunction with the Confederation of African Football and health experts, with the players holding up eleven messages to raise awareness of the disease and ways to combat it. We are not for Team GB. He was nominated to the PFA Team of the Year three times in a row between 2011 and 2013. [95][96] Bale scored on his Real Madrid debut, a goal coming in the 38th minute against Villarreal, before being substituted later in the game for Ángel Di María. [108] In La Liga, he scored four goals in three matches between gameweeks 31 and 33, as Real Madrid defeated Rayo Vallecano (5–0),[109] Real Sociedad (4–0)[110] and Almería (4–0). [135] On 22 November 2016, Bale damaged his ankle tendons during the 2–1 victory at Sporting CP that would rule him out for up to four months. [162] He made 16 appearances during the league season, as Real Madrid won the 2019–20 La Liga. [197][198] Bale recovered from his injury in good time to be included on Spurs' pre-season tour of the United States, scoring against LA Galaxy on 24 July[199][200] and against New York Red Bulls a week later. [182] On 12 June, his 50th cap, he scored the only goal to defeat Belgium in a home qualifier, taking Wales above the Belgians to the top of Group B. [65] On 27 June, Bale signed a new four-year contract, committing his future to the club until 2016. [161] Ex-Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon also said that Bale should return to Tottenham. Liverpool put a stop to the run of four straight league defeats which effectively finished off its title chances, but a 2-0 win over last-place Sheffield United was still short of Liverpool's best. 14 goals, surpassing both Ivor Allchurch and Trevor Ford, and Bale 's form Analysis and! Pogba 's record fee of €105 million ( £89.2 million ) 's completely because! 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