Top five moments of Gareth Bale's career with club & country

Bale won five Champions League titles with Real Madrid.

Gareth Bale is one of the most decorated players we have witnessed in football. Though the end of his career wasn’t as fruitful as expected, the forward completed football way before he called it quits. Bale announced himself to the world when he scored a hat-trick against Inter Milan when he was playing at Tottenham Hotspur.

It was that young Bale who showed the world that he was set to take football by storm. There were many big moments during his career with club and national team. He achieved a lot, but injuries were the ‘main’ reason that hampered his career.

As Gareth Bale celebrates his 35th birthday, we take a look at the top five moments in his career with club and country:

5. Hat-trick against Inter Milan

In a UEFA Champions League group match against Inter Milan at San Siro on October 20, 2010, Bale offered Tottenham fans recollections that would last a lifetime. That year was Spurs’ first participation in the competition.

Even though Spurs lost 4-3, Bale‘s explosive display in the second half remains one of the best individual efforts in the history of the tournament. The 21-year-old netted a hat-trick and tormented rival players with his raw strength and pace.

4. Winner against Barcelona in Copa del Rey final

After six years in North London, Real Madrid acquired the services of Gareth Bale in 2013 with a then-world record fee of €100.8m (£85.1m), surpassing the previous benchmark established by Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer from Manchester United to Santiago Bernabeu in 2009.

During those days in the Spanish capital, he had a standout performance against Barcelona in the 2014 Copa del Rey final, outpacing Marc Barta to score the winning goal. It led Real Madrid to a 2-1 win and handed them the Copa del Rey title against their arch-rivals.

3. Bicycle-kick in 2018 Champions League final

Bale gave Real Madrid a 2-1 lead over Liverpool in Kyiv with an bicycle-kick from the edge of the 18-yard box. He then doubled his goal tally for the match with a risky 30-yard attempt that custodian Loris Karius spilled, letting the ball in the net.

Gareth Bale boasts an excellent record in Champions League finals, having scored three goals.

2. Leading Wales to Euro 2016 semi-finals

At Euro 2016, the first time Wales had participated in the competition, Bale continued to be the star player for his country and performed admirably.

He led them to the semi-finals, making history in the process. Wales’ spectacular campaign came to an end in the semis, losing 2-0 to eventual champions Portugal.

1. Guiding Wales to 2022 FIFA World Cup after 64-year absence

Following a 64-year break, Wales made a comeback to the World Cup as they qualified for the 2022 competition in Qatar. This would be Bale’s final appearance with his nation at the tournament.

Bale’s international journey came to a heartbreaking conclusion when Wales‘ campaign ended prematurely, losing 3-0 to England in the last group encounter.

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