Gareth Bale found himself on the footballing scene at just the age of 16 years and 275 days, when he made his debut for Southampton against Milwall in 2006. Southampton pride themselves on their youth system and he is the second youngest player to make an appearance in the first team for Southampton, a fact which shows how he always had great potential. He was first spotted by Southampton at the age of 9 but was offered his first scholarship at the age of 14. Bale made 45 appearances for Southampton scoring 5 goals and won the personal accolade Football League Young Player of the Year, in 2007 after playing just one full season for the Saints. Bale moved to Premier League side Tottenham for a fee around the £7 million mark.
Bale improved every year at Spurs, meaning in his final season at Tottenham in 2012-2013 he was moved to left winger instead of left wing-back. This paid dividends for the Welshman who ended the season with 21 goals in 33 league appearances and another 5 goals in 11 games. His key moments included his goal of the month against Norwich, where he collected the ball on half way take on several players and blast the ball into the corner of the net. This is followed by his thunderbolt goal against West Ham which came from nowhere and ended up in the top right hand corner of the West Ham goal. Another goal worth mentioning was earlier in the season than these two, away at Manchester United. He collected a simple pass from Lennon and then ran the rest of the pitch with ease, leaving Rio Ferdinand for dead and then coolly slotting home into the corner of the net. Real Madrid came sniffing in the summer and despite Bale originally want to go to Manchester United and the deal nearly being done, Real Madrid came up with a transfer offer United just could not meet and Bale’s dream move was a reality. The actual fee of the transfer is still debated with the English press, especially those who work near and around Tottenham reporting the deal was £85.3 million which would be a world record fee whereas Spanish press around Madrid reported £77 million. Regardless of the fee, Bale was now the second most expensive player of all time. Bale was given the number 11 shirt, as he requested.
The pressure was huge for Bale, especially with the reports he was more expensive than Ronaldo. The Real Madrid fans were still waiting for their 10th European trophy to complete the ‘La Decima’ to end the fans obsession over the trophy and finally deliver what they have been craving. In the last few seasons Madrid had at best reached the semi-finals, being undone by Munich and Barcelona in 2009 and 2013. The pressure couldn’t be much higher on the Welshman who had an entire fan base, on his shoulders. It was also expected by the fans that he reach extremely high levels and to stand out in the already very good team. An average season and Bale would have been crucified by the fans.
Now the transfer was complete Bale had the daunting task to fit into the Madrid starting 11 despite playing in the same position as talisman Ronaldo. It was obvious Bale would be forced to play on the other wing than what he did at Spurs, although to accommodate both of them Ancelotti implemented a switch flanks regime, in which at the request of a winger his team mate on the other wing, would swap wings with him. This meant that Ronaldo could still get his preferred side but allow Bale to also play on this flank at times in matches. Another talking point was since Bale and Ronaldo are similar players, would Ronaldo take to him kindly or would the Portuguese goal machine feel threatened by the Welsh wizard. Bale actually fitted into the starting eleven with ease and enjoyed a fruitful partnership with the entire attacking force.
After such a high transfer fee it was key that Bale had a good season and he did just that. He contributed 22 goals in 44 games for Madrid and contributed 16 assists in the 44 games as well. Meaning he was directly involved in 38 goals in his 44 games, a truly staggering stat for a man in his first season at a new side and a new league. Bale’s career at Madrid did not start well, as he was declared out for several weeks as he suffered an injury in pre-season, but he came back stronger than ever with some very impressive stats.
He scored on his first game for the club and the emotions were clear on his face. But it wasn’t his league goals which saw him become such a club hero. His performances in the Champions League, have made him a hero forever at Madrid regardless of what happens in the coming years. He scored 6 goals in 12 games in this year’s Champions League. Including the winner in the Champions League final with time running out, he headed home into an empty net after busting every bone in his body to reach the ball. This made him the only Welshman to score in a Champions League final, creating further history. He is only 24 and in his first season he was influential in bringing the Copa Del Ray and the La Decima to the Real Madrid faithful. He scored the winner in both games, both equally as impressive for different reasons.
Due to his impressive stats and very important goals, it is obvious to all that Bale had a very successful first season with Madrid, making his dreams come true winning the La Decima for his dream club. Any potential transfers this season will have a lot to live up to, since they will struggle to have the same impact Bale has had in the Madrid side. His goal in the final not only gave the club their obsessive 10th Champions League final, but it has etched Gareth Bale the 24 year old Welshmen into the history books of one of the greatest clubs of all time. Bale at the age of just 24, could retire today and never be forgotten by Madrid fans, that is the impact he has had in his first season.
The future looks bright for Bale at Madrid with his best years still to come and he is performing well out of position. But Ronaldo (29) only has a few years left remaining at his peak, meaning in a few seasons Bale who will be reaching his peak at this time can move into his more natural position on the wing. Bale has a very long future ahead at Madrid and it does not seem realistic he will ever want to leave the club. If his remaining seasons are anything like his first, he will become a true Madrid great.