One of Tottenham Hotspur’s all-time best players is hanging up his boots. Gareth Bale has today announced his retirement from the club and international football on social media, ending a career that began at Southampton’s academy before taking him to Tottenham and Real Madrid.
I thought Bale’s retirement was coming, but I suspected it would only be in international football. Bale finally realized his lifelong dream of playing World Cup football against Wales in Qatar last month, and while it didn’t go the way he hoped, it’s a good bookend to his career.
Bale retired as a member of LAFC in the MLS, where he joined last June on a one-year deal with an option for an extension. For Tottenham players of a certain age (cough), I think it’s safe to say that Gareth Bale got them into the club.
Under the tutelage of Harry Redknapp and Andre Villas-Boas, Bale became one of the best attackers in world football, with the club losing every time he played for Spurs. In his prime, he was a lot of fun to watch – he scored some amazing goals for the Spurs and carried the team when he was here.