Real Madrid winger is considering retiring from football after the conclusion of the Euros – a report suggests. The Welshman enjoyed a productive return to Tottenham last season, but is due to return to the Spanish capital on loan expiry.
As the dust settled on the final matchday of the 2020/21 Premier League season, it came to notice that Bale had saved the season for both Spurs and Chelsea. His late brace against Leicester on the final day of the campaign helped Ryan Mason’s team beat the Foxes and subsequently finish seventh in the league – enough to secure a Europa Conference League spot.
Meanwhile, Leicester’s defeat at the hands of Bale also meant that the Blue were able to squeeze into the fourth spot, thus securing a berth in next season’s UEFA Champions League group stage. Tomas Tuchel’s men were out of the top four midway through the second half before Harry Kane struck to send Leicester down to fifth. Bale completed the Foxes’ misery with his two late goals, much to the delight of London rivals.
The Welshman had a productive season back at Spurs. He joined his former club on loan for the season after being frozen out by Zinedine Zidane – seven years after signing for Real in a world-record deal. His return to England did not bore immediate results. Instead, Bale was made to wait until the season was well underway to make his second debut for Spurs. The winger also wasn’t included in the starting eleven right away but won his place with good performances midway through the season.
Bale finished the season with 16 goals and three assists, albeit with his future still unclear. There was no immediate indication from Spurs regarding a potential permanent move, and the Welshman instead was sent back to Madrid – for now.
However, a report from ABC es claims that Bale won’t be returning to Spurs next season. He won’t be playing for Real Madrid either. Rather, the Wales international is considering hanging up his boots for good once the 2020 UEFA Euro is over.
Wales are set to play in the competition for the second consecutive edition and have been drawn alongside Italy, Turkey, and Switzerland in Group A. They reached the semi-finals of the tournament in 2016 led by Bale but were eliminated at the penultimate stage by eventual winners Portugal.
Bale was key to Wales’ deep run into the 2016 Euro and will likely be the key player for them once more. However, as the report suggests, this could be the final chance for football fans to witness him play, with the player considering a shock retirement.
The report claims that the Welshman is negotiating contract termination with Real Madrid one year before his deal expires. He will collect a payout from the club before hanging up his boots.
It was at Southampton that Bale broke through and played a single season before moving on to Spurs. The Welshman was initially deployed as a left-back by Tottenham before he gradually moved up the pitch to become an all-out attacker.
He enjoyed six successful years at White Hart Lane, but it was his final season at the club which drew the attention of Real Madrid. Bale had just scored 26 goals for Spurs and subsequently crowned Premier League’s player of the year, which pushed Los Blancos to pay a world-record fee for him.
While in Madrid, Bale formed a devastating partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, which brought the Champions League back to the club. Bale won four top European honours with Real Madrid and even scored in two finals.
