Free-kick expert: Who is Gareth Bale?

Wales' legendary football player Gareth Bale announced that he has retired from football. The experienced player, who thanked all the clubs he played for, achieved many successes in his career.

Bale, who was selected as the football player of the year in Wales 6 times and won many trophies in his career, experienced the peak period of his career during his Real Madrid years. The Welsh football player, who won 5 Champions League championships, 4 FIFA Club World Cups, 3 La Liga championships, 3 UEFA Super Cups, 3 Spanish Super Cups, and 1 Spanish Cup championship with the purple-white jersey, also won the MLS championship with Los Angeles FC club.

Gareth Frank Bale (born 16 July 1989) is a Welsh former professional footballer who played as a winger, most notably for Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid and Wales. 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 best known for his explosive pace, athleticism, and powerful strikes from distance.

Here is Gareth Bale's biography...

WHO IS GARETH BALE?

Gareth Frank Bale was born on 16 July 1989 in Cardiff. When he made his debut for Southampton on 17 April 2006, he became the second youngest player to play for Southampton.

In the second match of the 2006-07 season, he scored a free-kick goal against Coventry City at St Mary Stadium. Bale's reputation as a "free-kick expert" increased even more with the goal he scored against West Bromwich Albion. As of 16 December 2006, Bale increased his goal count to five with one goal each against Sunderland, Hull, and Norwich City.

He played for Tottenham Hotspur for 6 years. Apart from the left wing, he also played as the right wing and behind the striker. Bale, who attracted everyone's attention with his outstanding success, was transferred to Real Madrid on September 1, 2013, with a transfer fee of 100 million euros, taking away Cristiano Ronaldo's title as the most expensive football player.

On 19 September 2020, Bale returned to Tottenham Hotspur on loan.

Gareth Bale, who scored 40 goals in 111 matches with the Wales National Team, played an important role in his country's success in football.

He captained Wales to their World Cup appearance after 64 years. The 33-year-old player was one of the important names with his performance in Wales' passage to the finals of the 2016 and 2020 European Championships.

Bale scored 186 goals and 139 assists in 554 matches throughout his career.