Gareth Bale has today announced his immediate retirement from club and international football.
The 33-year-old Wales talisman, formerly of Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid, and, most recently, Los Angeles FC, gave a statement explaining his retirement earlier this afternoon.
“After careful and thoughtful consideration, I announce my immediate retirement from club and international football,” Bale said, with quotes courtesy of Talksport.
“I feel incredibly fortunate to have realised my dream of playing the sport I love.
“It has truly given me some of the best moments of my life. The highest of highs over 17 seasons, that will be impossible to replicate, no matter what the next chapter has in store for me.
“From my very first touch at Southampton to my last with LAFC and everything in between, shaped a club career that I have very immense pride and gratitude for. Playing for and captaining my country 111 times has truly been a dream come true.”
Indeed, Bale made his debut as a timid 16-year-old for the Saints way back in 2006, before making his move to North London in the summer of 2007 to sign for Martin Jol’s Spurs.
Bale would notoriously endure a winless streak in the Lilywhite shirt, having failed to feature in a Spurs win for 43 matches until a late substitute appearance in a 5-0 win over Burnley in 2009 under Harry Redknapp saw him end this unfortunate record.
The rest, as they, is history, and Bale went on to secure a then-world record transfer to Real Madrid in the summer of 2013 after six years at Spurs, helping Los Blancos win 3 Champions League titles prior to a season-long loan return to Spurs two seasons ago.
Bale continued by concluding his statement on thanking everyone he has worked with with throughout his club career:
“To show my gratitude to all of those that have played their part along this journey, feels like an impossibility. I feel indebted to many people for helping to change my life and shape my career in a way I couldn’t have ever dreamed of when I first started out at nine years old.
“To my previous clubs, Southampton, Tottenham, Real Madrid and finally LAFC. All of my previous managers and coaches, back room staff, team mates, all the dedicated fans, my agents, my amazing friends and family, the impact you have had is immeasurable.”