Gareth Bale retires from football immediately. The 33-year-old attacker announced his retirement on Monday despite an ongoing contract with Los Angeles FC.
“After careful consideration, I am announcing my retirement from club football and international football with immediate effect. I feel immensely privileged to have been able to fulfill my dream of practicing the sport I love,” he writes. “The highs I’ve experienced in the last 17 years are impossible to match, no matter what the future holds for me,” he writes on social media.
Bale started his career at the age of sixteen at Southampton and went on to wear the shirt of Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid and LAFC successively. In Los Angeles, the attacker signed a one-year contract in June with an option for another year and a half, but he will not serve it out. “From my first touch at Southampton to my last at LAFC and everything in between, I look back on my club career with immense pride and gratitude,” said the former Wales star. The World Cup match with England on November 29 appears to have been Bale’s last game as a professional football player.
Playing 111 international matches and wearing my country’s captain’s armband are dreams come true. It feels impossible to thank everyone who has contributed to my career. I feel I am indebted to many people who have helped me turn my life around. And shape a career I could never have dreamed of when I started at the age of nine.”
Retirement post
Bale thanks his former employers and loved ones and has a special mention for his family. The Welshman added, “To my parents and my sister: without your dedication at the beginning. Without that strong foundation, I would never have written this statement. I thank you for putting me on this path and for your continued support. To my wife and children, your love and support has helped me through. You were by my side through all the highs and lows. You kept me grounded and you inspired me to get better and to make you proud.”
It is not yet known whether Bale will remain active in football. The record international of Wales leaves that in the middle in his farewell speech. He concludes, “I am moving towards the next phase of my life. It is a time of change, a chance for a new adventure…”
