Gareth Bale went on to become a fundamental figure in Real Madrid’s recent successes after debuting for the club on this day in 2013.
A €100 million transfer from Tottenham to Real Madrid in the summer of 2013 saw Gareth Bale overtake his then-teammate Cristiano Ronaldo as the world’s costliest player.
The Madridistas had to wait a while to see their new man play in the club’s colors for the first time as Bale was sidelined due to a fitness issue, a problem that would continue to haunt him.
But the fans’ patience bore fruit as he impressed in his debut while also marking it with a goal.
One of Bale’s most iconic goals came in the 2014 Copa del Rey final against FC Barcelona. The winger came sprinting from the halfway line running off the field at one point and even then managed to outpace defender Marc Bartra before sending a shot through the legs of goalkeeper Jose Pinto and into the back of the net. The goal, considered as one of the very best in his career, won his side the match.
The Welshman stepped up yet again in a crucial moment as he netted during extra-time to hand his side the lead in the Champions League final in the same year, a match that Real Madrid went on to win 4-1.
Bale was also a driving force behind Los Blancos’ conquest of Europe from 2015 to 2018, leading them to three successive Champions League titles.
He has collected a plethora of individual accolades as well in his 251 appearances for the club so far while scoring 105 times in the process.
The future, however, seems bleak for the 31-year old as he has fallen out of favor under Zinedine Zidane as of late. It will not be surprising if it turns out that the 2019/20 was his last season at Real Madrid.
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