Gareth Bale
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Bale with Wales in 2016
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||
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| Full name | Gareth Frank Bale | |||||||||||
| Date of birth | 16 July 1989 | |||||||||||
| Place of birth | Cardiff, Wales | |||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||
| Playing position | Winger | |||||||||||
| Club information | ||||||||||||
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Current team
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Real Madrid | |||||||||||
| Number | 11 | |||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||
| Cardiff Civil Service | ||||||||||||
| 1999–2006 | Southampton | |||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Southampton | 40 | (5) | |||||||||
| 2007–2013 | Tottenham Hotspur | 146 | (42) | |||||||||
| 2013– | Real Madrid | 96 | (54) | |||||||||
| National team‡ | ||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Wales U17 | 7 | (1) | |||||||||
| 2006 | Wales U19 | 1 | (1) | |||||||||
| 2006–2008 | Wales U21 | 4 | (2) | |||||||||
| 2006– | Wales | 65 | (26) | |||||||||
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Honours
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| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22:27, 1 March 2017 (UTC). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 13 November 2016 |
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Gareth Frank Bale (born 16 July 1989) is a Welsh professional footballer who plays as a winger for Spanish club Real Madrid and the Wales national team. Renowned for his ball striking from distance, swerving free kicks, and his ability to get past defenders with pace, Bale has received plaudits from his peers, who have described him as a footballer with "tremendous speed, great crossing ability, a great left foot and exceptional physical qualities".
He began his professional career at Southampton, playing at left-back and earning acclaim as a free kick specialist. Bale moved to Tottenham Hotspur in 2007, for an eventual £7 million fee. During his time at Tottenham, managerial and tactical shifts saw him transform into a more attacking player. From the 2009–10 season, under the guidance of Harry Redknapp, Bale became an integral part of the team, rising to international attention during the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League. In 2011 and 2013 he was named PFA Players' Player of the Year, and was named in the UEFA Team of the Year. In 2013 he was also named PFA Young Player of the Year and the FWA Footballer of the Year.
On 1 September 2013, Bale was transferred to Real Madrid for an undisclosed fee. Press at the time reported the transfer value at figures between €91 million and €100 million. In January 2016, documents pertaining to the transfer were leaked which confirmed a then-world record transfer fee of €100.8 million, eclipsing the previous record fee of £80 million (€94 million) for Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009. Bale played an integral role in his first season at Real Madrid, helping the club to win the 2013–14 Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League, scoring in both finals. The following season he won the UEFA Super Cup and scored in a third major final to help the club win the FIFA Club World Cup. Two years later, he was a key player in another Champions League run, winning the 2015–16 title and being elected to the UEFA Squad of the Season. In 2016, ESPN ranked Bale twelfth on its list of the world's most famous athletes.
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