Top 5 Gareth Bale performances
A little over a decade ago, a young Welsh boy made his debut for Championship side; Southampton. The left-back made an immediate impact in the footballing world, drawing the attention of some of several clubs in the English totop flightIn the summer of 2007, Gareth Bale signed for Tottenham Hotspur.
The Welsh International went on to score 55 goals in 203 appearances for the London club. In his 6 years at Spurs, Bale produced some mind-blowing performances, beating defenders for pace and scoring some absolute screamers. Bale even won the 'PFA Best Player Award' and the 'Fans Best Player Award' for his astonishing display in the 2012-13 Premier League season.
In 2013, Bale moved to the Spanish capital, for what was then a World Record fee. Since then, the Welshman has won 4 Champions League titles and a La Liga title with Los Blancos.
In his illustrious career so far, Bale has produced some moments of magic that have left the planet astonished. Here are 5 of his greatest performances on a football pitch.
#5 England vs Wales (Euro 2016)
After almost 58 years, Wales qualified for their first major International tournament. The Real Madrid winger scored 7 goals in the qualifying round, single-handedly taking Wales to France.
The debutants at the Euro 2016 were up against some of the finest sides in the World. Chris Coleman's men were the tournament underdogs. The continent however was in for a shock, as Wales topped their group ahead of England, Russia, and Slovakia. Producing some breathtaking performances, the Welsh played like they were masters of the beautiful game, and became a force to be reckoned with in the competition.
The Real Madrid winger opened the scoring at the Euros, with a sensational free-kick and led his side to a 2-1 victory over Slovakia. Bale's opener was the first goal in a major competition for Wales since a goal against Hungary in the 1958 World Cup.
His best performance however was against England, in what the media were calling the 'English Derby'. The Welsh needed their star man to rise up, and he didn't disappoint. Scoring from a dead ball 40 yards out, Bale produced a moment of class that gave Coleman's side an early lead.
His pace and power throughout the game gave England a tough time, as they struggled to get hold of the number 11. The fixture ended 2-1 thanks to goals from Jamie Vardy and a stoppage-time winner from Raheem Sterling, but Bale's performance was more than sensational. His solo runs sent the English defense into a fit and will not be forgotten soon.
Wales went on to beat Belgium in the Quarterfinals, thanks to a fantastic display by Coleman's side. They lost to eventual winners Portugal in the semifinal. Bale's performance at the Euro 2016 earned him a 3rd place spot ahead of the likes of Lionel Messi and Neymar in the UEFA Best Player list.