After the La Liga match against Villareal, Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti confirmed that Gareth Bale would leave Santiago Bernabeu when his current deal ends. He made his first Real appearance in almost six months against Villarreal following an injury-hit season. Bale has suffered from injuries and coronavirus since returning to Spain after a season-long loan with Tottenham Hotspur last year.

Ancelotti said: “I have a good relationship with him and the rest of the players. Personal relationships are strong when everyone shows respect, and he has always done that and has never let me down in that regard.”

“In the past, he hasn’t had great motivation, but he wants to end things here in a good way. Bale has helped this club to win the Champions League, Copa del Rey and signing off on a high here would be good for his career.”

Bale was an integral part of the team that won the UEFA Champions League three times in a row under Zinedine Zidane. During his peak time, he was one of the quickest footballers in the world. The overhead kick that he scored in the 2018 UEFA Champions League Final will always be a happy memory for all the Real Madrid fans worldwide.

Even after contributing so much, sometimes we feel that he was not receiving the appreciation he deserved. It may be because Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema stood a step higher than him when the trio ruled the Champions for three years.

The Welsh International began his professional career in England with Southampton. Then he moved to Tottenham Hotspur in 2007, where he was transformed into a more attacking player.

In 2011 and 2013, he was named PFA Players’ Player of the Year and was named in the UEFA Team of the Year. In 2013, he was also named PFA Young Player of the Year, the FWA Footballer of the Year and the Premier League Player of the Season. He was nominated to the PFA Team of the Year three times in a row between 2011 and 2013.

He made his move to Real Madrid in 2013 for a record fee of nearly 100 million euros.

Bale played an integral role in his first season at Real Madrid, helping the club to win the 2013–14 Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League, scoring in both finals. The following season, he won the UEFA Super Cup and scored in a third major final to help the club win the FIFA Club World Cup. He was a crucial player in another Champions League run two years later, winning the 2015–16 title and being elected to the UEFA Squad of the Season. After winning another UCL, he was also a finalist in the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year Award.

But slowly, after all the success, his performance dipped. Injuries and the relationship with Zidane made his life in Spain more miserable. In 2020, he made a season-long loan to Spurs, where he had an energising spell. But injuries again made a barrier in front of him.
Bale will be hoping to end the season on a high and leave Real Madrid by contributing as much as he can.