Gareth Bale has announced his immediate retirement from football.
In a statement, the former Tottenham Hotspurs, Real Madrid and Wales winger - who recently played for Los Angeles FC in the MLS - said: "After careful and thoughtful consideration, I announce my immediate retirement from club and international football. I feel incredibly fortunate to have realised my dream of playing the sport I love."
Bale was one of the most exciting talents of his generation, winning multiple league and Champions League titles with Real Madrid and the player of the year award in the Premier League while playing for Tottenham.
ALSO READ: Besiktas release statement on Wout Weghorst amid Man United transfer interest
However, towards the end of his time in Madrid, Bale was frozen out of the squad, playing fewer and fewer games under Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane. He did still have his moments however, including a stunning brace against Liverpool in the Champions League final where he scored his famous overhead kick.
Some fans speculated that the reason Bale didn't get as many minutes with Madrid was that he fell out with their superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. Another dominant personality in the dressing room, it was claimed that Wales international didn't always get on with the former Manchester United forward.
But Bale poured cold water on these rumours in an interview in 2019. The pair have reportedly remained close friends since playing together in Spain.
Bale told MailOnline after Ronaldo joined Juventus: "Cristiano is an incredible player, I thoroughly enjoyed playing with him. Obviously, the media try and hype up these problems which were never there.
"We got on really well. He's an incredible player and what he did for the club with the amount of goals he scored. An incredible player and he is still going now."
Bale also sent Ronaldo a good luck message before his return to United in 2021. Bale said: "I'm sure he'll do well. He's proven it before in the Premier League so he understands the league. He's done everything there is in football. His goalscoring ability is matched by no-one else. [I am] excited to it like everyone else."
Aged just 33, Bale retires as Wales' most-capped male player and record men's goalscorer. Ronaldo, meanwhile, is still going at 37 having recently signed for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia after his departure from Old Trafford.
READ NEXT:
