Welsh football legend Gareth Bale, the former captain and record holder for goals and appearances for the national team, has revealed that family health problems were the key reason for his retirement from football at the age of just 33.
Bale surprised the public by announcing his retirement in January 2023, and the decision followed immediately after an unsuccessful performance at the World Cup in Qatar, where Wales finished last in a group with England, USA and Iran.
In his farewell message, he said that football gave him the best moments in his life, and he won the last trophy with Los Angeles, where he won the MLS Cup, adding it to a collection that already includes five Champions League titles and numerous other successes.
Speaking for the first time about the details of his decision, Bale revealed that his father Frank’s illness was decisive.
“Dad got sick and it had a huge impact. People don’t know what goes on in someone’s home, but I realized there’s a lot more to it than football,” Bale told GQ Magazine.
He added that there are things in his career that he wishes had ended differently, such as fighting for the World Cup trophy, but points out that he has achieved much more than he ever dreamed of as a boy from Cardiff.
“I fulfilled so many goals that the appearance at the World Cup was the last thing I wanted to achieve. We didn’t excel, but we were there for the first time after 64 years. After that, I felt that I had fulfilled everything I wanted,” concluded Bale, in an interview conducted during a game of golf.
