Wales Captain Gareth Bale has announced his retirement from football aged just 33.
The former Southampton, Tottenham and Real Madrid striker made his final competitive appearance in Wales’ World Cup group stage tie against England on November 29.
He finished his club career in the United States with Los Angeles FC, and scored a dramatic extra-time goal to help his side win the MLS Cup in November.
Bale, his country’s most capped male player with 111 appearances and top scorer with 41 goals, wrote on his social media accounts: “After careful and thoughtful consideration, I am announcing my immediate retirement from club and international football. .
“I feel incredibly lucky to have achieved my dream of playing the sport I love.
“I had some of the best times of my life. The highest of the highs over 17 seasons, which will be impossible to replicate no matter what the next chapter has in store for me. »
It was during his time at Real Madrid that Bale’s career reached new heights.
After joining Real from Tottenham Hotspur for €100m in 2013, Bale won 16 major trophies with the club, including five Champions Leagues, three Ligas and a Copa del Rey.
He has also won three Fifa Club World Cups, three Uefa Super Cups and a Spanish Super Cup.
The 32-year-old scored over 100 goals for Real, including three in the Champions League final, including a stunning header against Liverpool in 2018.
“From my very first contact at Southampton to my last with LAFC and everything in between, has shaped a club career for which I have immense pride and gratitude,” Bale added in his statement. “Playing for and captaining my country 111 times has truly been a dream come true.
“I feel like it’s impossible to show my gratitude to everyone who played a part in this journey. I feel indebted to many people who have helped change my life and shape my career in ways I never could have dreamed of when I started at age nine.
“To my former clubs, Southampton, Tottenham, Real Madrid and finally LAFC. All of my former managers and coaches, backroom staff, my teammates, all of the dedicated fans, my agents, my amazing friends and family, the impact you’ve had is immeasurable. »
Bale pulled his country from the desert of international football to qualify for two European championships, reaching the semi-finals of Euro 2016, and a first World Cup since 1958.
Bale scored from the penalty spot in Wales’ 1-1 draw with the United States in Qatar, but defeats to Iran and England saw Wales bow out in the group stage.
While the five-time Champions League winner insisted he could continue, the Cardiff-born striker decided to hang up his boots.
“My decision to retire from international football was by far the most difficult of my career,” Bale added.
“How do you describe what it means to me to be part of this country and this team? How can I express the impact they had on my life? How can I put into words what I felt every time I put on this Welsh jersey? My answer is that I couldn’t do any of these things justice just with words.
“But I know that everyone involved in Welsh football feels the magic and is touched in such a powerful and unique way, so I know you feel what I feel without using any words.
“My career on the international scene has changed not only my life but also my identity. The chance to be Welsh and to be selected to play and captain Wales has given me something unlike anything I have experienced.
“I am honored and humbled to have been able to play a part in the history of this incredible country, to have felt the support and passion of the Red Wall and to have visited unexpected and amazing places together.
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