Gareth Bale announces immediate retirement aged 33
Gareth Bale has announced his retirement from football.
Bale, Wales’ most-capped men’s player with 111 appearances, confirmed the decision on social media.
The former Southampton, Tottenham and Real Madrid forward made his final competitive appearance during Wales’ World Cup group stage fixture with England at the end of November.
Bale, 33, wrote on his social media accounts: “After careful and thoughtful consideration, I announce my immediate retirement from club and international football.
“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.”
Speculation over Bale’s future has constantly been debated in recent seasons, with his playing time at club level limited but his importance to Wales has never waned and he fired them to a first World Cup since 1958 with a deflected winner against Ukraine last summer.
He left Real Madrid not long after to sign for Major League Soccer outfit Los Angeles FC and scored in his final club outing in November to help them win the MLS Cup with a penalty shootout success over Philadelphia Union.
It would prove the 21st trophy won by Bale during a glittering career and provided him with momentum ahead of Wales’ historic return to the world stage this winter.
Bale scored from the penalty spot in his country’s 1-1 draw with USA, but defeats to Iran and England saw Wales bow out in the group stage in Qatar.
While the five-time Champions League winner insisted that he may carry on, the Cardiff-born attacker has now decided to hang up his boots.
“My decision to retire from international football has been by far the hardest of my career,” Bale said.
“My journey on the international stage is one that has changed not only my life but who I am. The fortune of being Welsh and being selected to play for and captain Wales, has given me something incomparable to anything else I’ve experienced.
“I am honoured and humbled to have been able to play a part in the history of this incredible country, to have felt the support and passion of the red wall, and together have been to unexpected and amazing places.
“Thank you to every one of you for being on this journey with me.
“So for now I am stepping back, but not away from the team that lives in me and runs through my veins. After all, the dragon on my shirt is all I need.”
Real Madrid expressed their “affection and love for a great legend” of their club. Bale won five Champions League titles with the Spanish giants.
The Bernabeu club, who signed Bale from Spurs in a then world record £85.1m deal in 2013 and with whom he won 19 trophies in total, paid tribute in a statement.
It read: “Real Madrid want to show their thanks, admiration and love for a great legend of our club and world football.
“Gareth Bale was part of our team in one of the most successful eras in our history and will represent forever many of the brightest moments of the past decade.
“His figure will always be linked to the history and legend of our club. Lots of luck, Gareth, and our best wishes to you and your family.”
A tweet from Spurs read: “Thank you for everything, @GarethBale11. Congratulations on an incredible career.”
A further tweet labelled Bale a “genius” and another said “he was born to play for Spurs.”
Those sentiments were echoed by Southampton who also referred to him as a “generational talent” and “one of our own”.
