Praises continue to pour in for Gareth Bale, who announced his retirement as a footballer on Monday. The Welshman will stop immediately after he had a glorious career. The British media wrote praise about the former winger, while Carlo Ancelotti showed a striking image on social media and Rafael van der Vaart spoke beautiful words.
“We are talking about a footballer with a rare gift,” wrote The Daily Mail on Tuesday morning. The newspaper aptly described the career of the Welsh legend: “The career has been great. He has won the Champions League five times in nine seasons with Real Madrid. Yet he was never accepted in Spain, although he scored arguably the greatest goal of all time in the final against Liverpool in 2018.”
The British medium thinks that there will always be a mystery about Bale. “In the end, he has not yet played 400 games. That’s part of the puzzle that will never be solved. He was a dedicated craftsman, but he didn’t last the way others did. Bale was lightning fast, always poised and instinctively brave. His end as a footballer is abrupt, but the highlights will always prevail,” they added.
“You will always hear opinions that his fate is unfulfilled, but perhaps then we forget that football is not a clinical exercise,” wrote The Guardian. The newspaper holds on to the best moments of an iconic footballer. “It’s not a game of numbers or records. Football is a humming, sobbing, screaming book full of pure memories and stories. Cherished memories.
Former teammates and coaches
“Bale has convinced the newspaper to end up in a list of the greatest. In 17 years as a professional footballer, Bale has produced more of these memories than any Welsh footballer. Let that define him. Because when people say that he hasn’t made the most of his talent, what exactly does that mean?” the article read.
Former success coach Ancelotti posted an iconic image from a Copa del Rey final against Barcelona in honor of Bale’s career. With an amazing attack, the winger put Barcelona defender Marc Bartra on display at the time, after which he scored beautifully for Real Madrid. It’s a striking image that defines the Welsh football legend.
Former teammate Van der Vaart also honored Bale with a few striking words. The duo successfully played together at Tottenham Hotspur. “I wish you a happy retirement as a footballer. I really enjoyed playing with you. Your runs were a joy to use. Thanks for all the memories, on and off the field. I wish you a great future.’
