Gareth Bale’s career highlights: mocking Maicon and Bartra and the legendary Champions League final

Together, let’s recall five great moments in the career of this fast-footed footballer and remember his football skills that entertained the world on the pitch.

Gareth Bale has announced the end of his illustrious career. He was a phenomenal footballer and it’s a shame that the events of recent years are a bit of a blot on all his achievements.

Many of us will remember Real Madrid’s teasing of a photo of Bale and the Wales national team posing with a flag that read ‘Wales, Golf, Madrid. In that order’. Some will think of his nap on the substitutes’ bench, when he pulled a blindfold over his eyes and dozed off.

He won many trophies and awards during his career. Five times he has enjoyed winning the Champions League winner’s trophy, three times he has been Spanish champion, three times he has won the European Super Cup and the Club World Cup.

Since leaving Tottenham Hotspur in 2013, he has only failed to win the trophy on one occasion. And that was when he returned to Tottenham on loan. This proves that even a five-time Champions League winner can’t perform miracles.

So let’s recap the key moments of Gareth Bale’s career.

MLS Final

Whether this was the last game of his career on the club scene, perhaps only Bale himself knew at the time. He ended his career in style and with one of the most exciting games in recent times. His LAFC took on Philadelphia. It was a crazy game that ended in a 3-3 draw after extra time, with Philadelphia still taking the lead in the 124th minute.

It was Gareth Bale who sent the game into extra time, scoring in the 128th minute. He hadn’t played much in MLS up to that point. Even in the final, he only got 24 minutes, which was enough to prove that he is a big game player. LAFC were victorious on penalties, giving Gareth the last trophy of his career in the last club game of his career.

Bale vs. Maicon

When Gareth Bale’s name is mentioned, one can’t help but think of the Tottenham v Inter Milan game from 2010, in which Bale scored a hat-trick from the left-back position. Former Inter Brazilian defender Maicon is sure to remember the match. He was part of all three Tottenham goals by simply failing to stop Bale.

Bale dominated the left side of the pitch. He can take solace in the fact that Inter eventually managed to win a crazy game of seven goals, three of which were scored by Bale. The Welsh speedster did what he wanted during the two Champions League group stage games with the Brazilian, and this is certainly the moment when Gareth came into the wider footballing world’s consciousness.

Bale vs. Bartra

Speaking of duels on the left side of the pitch, we can’t forget the legendary running duel Marc Bartra had with him. It was near the end of regulation time of the Copa del Rey final between Real Madrid and Barcelona.

The White Ballet were playing without their biggest star, Cristiano Ronaldo, and so Gareth Bale had to take charge. It was the 85th minute of the game and Bale had almost kicked the ball along the touchline on half court.

During the arc and off the pitch, he ran the ball and legged it all the way to Barcelona’s goal, where his winning goal secured the cup for Real Madrid. For now, this is Real Madrid’s last triumph in the Copa del Rey. Marc Bartra was unable to respond to his speed and was looking at his back the entire match.

Scissors and a long-range shot in the Champions League final

Bale hammered two more imaginary nails into the coffin of goalkeeper Loris Karius with his goals in the Champions League final, against Liverpool. The latter made a crazy mistake on a cross and gifted Real Madrid the leading goal, which was scored by Karim Benzema.

His already-loaded confidence got even more of a knock, the moment Bale laid a scissor kick into Marcelo’s centre and sent Real Madrid back in front with a superb goal.

To make matters worse, Bale added another wonderful goal. With around ten minutes to go, he stretched his left foot and sent a shot towards Loris Karius’ goal that the goalkeeper couldn’t deal with. He did hit the ball but knocked it unluckily into the net. Bale and all of Real Madrid celebrate the historic achievement of winning the Champions League three times in a row.

2012/13 season

Not exactly a moment as such, but one of the most important seasons in Gareth Bale’s career. Prior to the start of this season, he changed his jersey number from a three to his favoured eleven during the course of it, becoming an indispensable part of Tottenham Hotspur’s line-up.

He ended the season on the numbers of 44 games, 26 goals in all competitions. He won the PFA Players’ Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards. Bale was the first player since Cristiano Ronaldo to win both awards in the same year. In the summer of 2013, he became the world’s most expensive player and transferred to Real Madrid.

Source: Transfermarkt, Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid, LAFC