Gareth Bale is a Welsh footballer who has played for Southampton and Tottenham Hotspurs and currently plays for Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Gareth Bale Biography
Bale was born on 16 July 1989 in Cardiff, Wales. His father Frank Bale was a local school administrator, while his mother, Debbie Bale, was a surgery clerk. His footballing skills were first discovered by Southampton Scouts at his primary school, Eglwys Newydd Primary School in Whitchurch.
Bale went on to Whitchurch High School in Cardiff, where he excelled as an all-around athlete. Although football had always been his first love, Bale was equally adept at rugby, sprinting, hockey, and other sports. His skills were so extensive that he was a dream student for any sports teacher.
He reportedly ran the 100-meter sprint in 11.4 seconds at the age of 14. As a student, his soccer skills were so far ahead of his peers that he needed his own rules. During the games, his sports teacher Gwyn Morris insisted that he could only touch the ball once (and not with his favorite left foot), while other children could play with both feet.
Growing up in Whitchurch, Bale began training at the Southampton Satellite Academy in Bath.
Gareth Bale made his professional debut for Southampton on 17 April 2006 at the age of 16 years and 275 days, becoming the second-youngest player ever to play for Southampton – a record only surpassed by Theo Walcott.
His first ligator was a free-kick against Derby County. Already as a teenager, he made a name for himself as a specialist for free-kicks. While playing in the championship, Bale was named Football League Young Player of the Year on 4 March 2007. After the first leg of the Championship play-offs, the semi-final against Derby County, Bale’s time at the South Coast club ended with five goals after 45 appearances.
ALSO READ: Charisma Carpenter Biography, Age, Net Worth, Body Measurements
Gareth Bale moved to the London club Tottenham Hotspur on 25 May 2007 after signing a four-year contract for an initial £5 million, which could rise to £10 million due to performances and success.
At the Spurs, Bale came into the national consciousness, starting as a left-back but ending up as one of the most dynamic left-wingers White Hart Lane has ever seen. Under the leadership of Harry Redknapp, Bale became a terror to opposition defenders. Blessed with a unique blend of pace, strength, superb crosses, and the thunderous crash of a shot, Bale lit up the Premier League with spectacular goals on a more regular basis.
He played for the Spurs for six seasons, playing 203 games and scoring 55 goals. During his time at Tottenham Hotspurs, he won the PFA Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year titles as well as the Football Journalist’s Player of the Year. He was only the second player in history (after Cristiano Ronaldo) to win all three awards in one season (2012-13).
After an impressive 2012/2013 season in which he scored over 20 goals for the Spurs, Real Madrid announced on 1 September 2013 that they had signed Bale for a world record of £85.3 million (€100 million). This broke the previous record of 80 million pounds (94 million euros) paid by Real Madrid to purchase Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United.
Bale’s first season was hampered by a series of injuries – a recurring theme during his time in Spain. But if he is fit, Bale remains a force to be reckoned with at the Santiago Bernabeu. His debut season ended gloriously with a goal against arch-rivals Barcelona in the final of the 2014 Copa del Rey and a goal against Athletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League final.
Bale was part of what will become a dreaded attacking triumvirate with French striker Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo. Together, the three men’s devastating combination play has brought the teams to their knees at will. So far, Bale has played 123 times for Real and scored 66 goals.
Gareth Bale Injury
Throughout his career (particularly since he moved to Spain) Gareth has suffered a number of injuries. Most of these were muscular problems, ranging from calf injuries to back problems and hamstring strains. In his first season, he suffered six different injuries. The next season he had a relatively injury-free season in which he only sustained two injuries – a back problem and a calf injury. In the 2015/2016 season, he suffered six setbacks due to injuries. In the following two seasons he suffered five more injuries. His longest injury-related absence was the ankle injury he sustained on 24 November 2016, which put him out of action for 84 days.
ALSO READ: Kiko Casilla Biography and Profile of The Spanish Goalkeeper
Gareth Bale’s Net Worth and Salary
Bale earns £15 million a year from his six-year contract with Real Madrid. He also has vast sums of money from his numerous engagements with Adidas, EA Sports, and Sony Xperia Z3. His contract with Adidas has an estimated value of 35 million dollars. His net worth is estimated at around $150 million.
Wife
Gareth Bale is engaged to his long-time lover Emma Rhys-Jones, whose family home in Cardiff is just a mile from the Bales. The couple met as teenagers while attending Whitchurch High School. Gareth announced his engagement to her on his 27th birthday. The couple has two daughters, Alba Violet (born 21 October 2012) and Nava Valentina, (born 22 March 2016). In March 2018 the couple announced that they were expecting another baby.
Gareth Bale’s Unique Haircut
The hairstyles of Gareth Bale have evolved as much as the man. Initially, he kept to the basic comb-over style with a pronounced side parting. Nowadays, however, Gareth wears more ponytails and topknots with a neat side parting to match.
Height, Weight
One of the unique characteristics that distinguish Bale is his impressive physique. For a player as fast as he is, Bale carries the ball with a brutal elegance in pace. He stands at 185 cm (6 feet 1 inch) and weighs 82 kg.