5 reasons why Gareth Bale is one of the greatest Real Madrid players of all time
On Monday, 9 January 2023, former Real Madrid superstar and Wales ace Gareth Bale posted an articulated message on social media, announcing his retirement from club and international football.
Some of the most revered footballers of all time have congratulated the Welsh Dragon for enjoying a stellar career, laden with stunning goals and glittering trophies. Real Madrid, the club where he won the most celebrated trophies of his career, have also come out to congratulate one of their greatest Galacticos.
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Since their inception in 1902, Real Madrid have had the privilege of fielding some of the greatest-ever players. Many have gone on to create history, helping Madrid emerge as the most successful team on the continent. Gareth Bale is not yet mentioned in the same breath as some of Madrid’s all-time greats, but we believe the Welshman has done enough to receive that privilege.
Today, we will take a brief look at the brilliant spell Gareth Bale enjoyed at Madrid and state the top five reasons why he’s one of their all-time greats. Let's begin!
#5 For showing mental resilience time and time again
The Spanish media has always had little tolerance toward foreign footballers, with them often over-analyzing even their tiniest mistakes. Gareth Bale was frequently targeted by the press and even the Santiago Bernabeu faithful for the most ordinary slip-ups. He was also slammed time and again for his injuries, with many calling him a waste of resources.
Gareth Bale never understood why Real Madrid fans booed him 🤷♂️
(via Erik Anders Lang/YouTube) https://t.co/yG8RrZETCT
In April 2022, then-Madrid player Casemiro spoke out against Los Blancos fans who booed Bale, claiming that jeering the Welshman was disrespectful toward the club. The Manchester United midfielder said (via The Daily Mail):
“I don't like it when they boo Bale, he’s a historic player for Real Madrid. When they boo Bale they boo the history of the club.”
Despite being so harshly treated by his own fans, Bale never let his chin drop and popped up with important displays more often than not. Through his fearless performances, he established himself as one of the most resilient characters in modern-day football.
#4 For racking up an admirable number of goals and assists
Between 2013 and 2018, Gareth Bale was a force to be reckoned with for the All Whites. He dazzled onlookers with his breathtaking pace, scored excellent goals, and led from the front time and time again.
Although the former Spurs man scored more goals in the 2013-14 season (22 vs 19), the 2015-16 season was easily Bale’s best in Los Merengues’ colors. Bale carried the ball with ferocity, linked up flawlessly with teammates, worked hard, and regularly pitched in with goals and assists. He played 31 games for the Whites that season, racking up 19 goals and 14 assists.
Gareth Bale: best European Cup final goal ever, best Copa del Rey final goal ever, five European Cups. 👏
Over the course of his Real Madrid career, the 33-year-old played 258 matches in all competitions, scoring an impressive 106 goals and providing 67 assists. Had it not been for Gareth Bale’s frequent injuries, Bale could have left a much larger footprint on Madrid’s history.
#3 For being an esteemed member of Real Madrid’s greatest-ever front three
In the 2013-14 season, coach Carlo Ancelotti fielded Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, and Cristiano Ronaldo together in attack, giving birth to one of the best footballing tridents in history.
Ronaldo, the team’s undisputed talisman rained down from the left flank. Bale used his pace to tear through opponents down the right. Finally, there was Benzema, who held the attack together with his unmatched link-up play down the middle.
... what a time to be aliveThe BBC 🔥... what a time to be alive https://t.co/IyDEuXdrIk
In the 2013-14 season, the front three of Bale, Benzema, and Cristiano (BBC) scored a whopping 97 goals across competitions, as Madrid bagged the Champions League and the Spanish Cup.
The front three featured under Zinedine Zidane as well, but the Frenchman preferred to use Isco in a 4-4-2 diamond setup as opposed to a straight 4-3-3. Hence, the 2013-14 season could be considered the peak of the BBC.
#2 For stepping up in crucial finals
Having joined from Tottenham Hotspur for a record €101 million fee in 2013, Gareth Bale wasted very little time proving his mettle at Madrid. In his debut season, Bale scored two goals in two cup finals, first in the Copa del Rey and then in the UEFA Champions League.
Real Madrid faced arch-rivals Barcelona in the 2013-14 Copa del Rey final at the Mestalla Stadium. With the game poised at 1-1, Gareth Bale presented himself as Madrid’s hero, scoring a superb solo goal to win the match for them in the 85th minute.
Receiving a pass from Fabio Coentrao in his own half, Bale pushed the ball beyond Marc Bartra. The defender drove him off the field, but Bale continued his run, intercepted the ball, and slotted it between the Barca keeper’s legs to win his team the Spanish Cup.
The best goals Gareth Bale scored for Real Madrid. 🤯🏴👑 https://t.co/OwZ39eX5yj
In May, Gareth Bale scored Madrid’s go-ahead goal against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League final. In the 110th minute, he adjudged the flight of Angel Di Maria’s rebound and headed it past an out-of-position Thibaut Courtois. Madrid won the game 4-1 to bag their first Champions League trophy in 12 years.
Four years later, Bale popped up as a super sub in the Champions League final against Liverpool. In the 63rd minute, two minutes after coming on, Bale scored from a sensational bicycle kick, connecting with Marcelo’s cross from the left and taking it comfortably beyond Loris Karius.
Twenty minutes later, he caught the keeper out with a strike from range, securing a 3-1 victory and sealing Madrid’s 13th Champions League trophy.
Gareth Bale scored many excellent goals in his Real Madrid career, but his 63rd-minute strike against Liverpool will forever remain in the hearts of Madridistas.
#1 For winning the most coveted trophies
Between 2013 and 2022, Gareth Bale established himself as an undisputed Real Madrid legend. He scored superb goals, did not let often-unjust criticism bring him down, linked up expertly with teammates, and proved to be clutch in big games. Inevitably, he won a plethora of trophies over the course of his stellar Madrid career.
Gareth Bale won five UEFA Champions League trophies (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022) during his time with Los Blancos. No player in history has won more Champions Leagues, let alone for a single club. He also won three La Liga titles (2016, 2020, 2022) for the Whites and was the team’s standout performer in their Copa del Rey triumph in 2014. Los Merengues have not won the Spanish Cup since.
Unforgettable... Thank you @GarethBale11 https://t.co/fChNsJPWf5
Additionally, he won four Club World Cups (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018), three UEFA Super Cups (2015, 2017, 2018), and three Spanish Super Cups (2018, 2020, 2022).