Welsh international Gareth Bale, who has excelled at Tottenham and Real Madrid, announced his retirement from professional football this Monday at the age of 33, six months after signing for Los Angeles FC, of the North American League (MLS).
“After careful and deep thought, I announce my immediate withdrawal from international and club football,” he wrote on social media.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Gareth Bale (@garethbale11)
Bale arrived at Los Angeles FC in June 2022, where he set the pace to represent his national team at the 2022 World Cup, with the Welsh team reaching the group stage, with a single point in a group containing England, Iran and the United States.
“I feel incredibly lucky to have fulfilled my dream of playing the sport I love. It really has given me some of the best moments of my life,” said Bale.
The player reveals playing and captaining Wales 111 times was “truly a dream come true”.
“From my first touch for Southampton to my last for LAFC and everything in between, I’ve built a career at the club level that I’m extremely proud and grateful for,” said Bale, who played in 13 games and scored three goals for the Californians. , helping them win the latest edition of the MLS.
With his national team, Bale reached the semi-finals of Euro 2016, losing to Portugal (2-0), who went on to win the final against France, in the middle of Stade France.
The striker trained with Southampton, where he made his first-team debut in 2006, then as a left-back, before moving to Tottenham in 2007.
He represented Spurs for six seasons, until 2013, when he moved to Real Madrid and made the most expensive transfer in the history of the sport, for €101 million.
In his nine seasons at Real Madrid — interrupted only by a loan spell at Tottenham Hotspur (2020/21) — he won three Spanish leagues, a Spanish Cup, a Spanish Super Cup, five Champions Leagues, three Club World Cups and two European Super Cups.
Source: DN
