At the age of 33, Wales captain and former Real and Tottenham star Bale revealed his decision to hang up his boots.

It ends a successful career in which he amassed a record 111 caps for Wales and, among other accomplishments, won five Champions League championships with the Spanish powerhouses.
The Bernabeu club, who in 2013 paid a then-world record £85.1 million to acquire Bale from Spurs and with whom he ultimately won 19 championships, expressed tribute in a statement.

It said: “Real Madrid would want to express their gratitude, love, and appreciation for a great legend of our team and of football in general.

“Gareth Bale was a member of our team throughout one of our company’s most prosperous periods and will always stand in for many of the best moments from the previous ten years.

“His name will always be associated with our club’s past and legend. We wish you and your family the best of luck, Gareth.

When England’s captain Harry Kane’s squad faced Wales in the World Cup, he most recently shared the field with former Spurs teammate Bale.

Congratulations on an outstanding career, it was a joy to have played together, the striker tweeted in response to Bale’s retirement announcement. Best wishes for whatever comes next!
Ryan Mason was a teammate of Bale at Tottenham and later served as his coach after taking over as interim manager of the club for Bale’s loan season in 2020–21.

It was a pleasure to play with you and then guide you during your adventure, Mason, who remained a member of Antonio Conte’s coaching team, wrote on Twitter. You leave the game having created some of the most memorable moments in football history, and you are truly a great.

Ian Wright, a former Arsenal and Crystal Palace forward, praised Bale’s talent while serving as a commentator prior to the Gunners’ FA Cup third-round matchup with Oxford United.

According to him, he is one of the clutch players, he said ITV. For Spurs, those seasons were spectacular. a remarkable athlete. I’m happy for him and wish him luck.

Wright was standing next to former England player Karen Carney, who added: “He’s one of the best British players I believe, well, I’ve seen anything in my time, so he’s won it all, he’s done it all, and I think the influence that he’s had for Wales and Welsh football is incredible. The track record, in my opinion, speaks for itself.

Cardiff-born Bale started out with Southampton before making the £7 million switch to Spurs in 2007.

He later made a loan return to the London club during the 2020–21 campaign before permanently departing Real for Los Angeles FC. On the international level, his motivational performances assisted Wales in returning to the main tournament stage as they qualified for the 2016 and 2020 European Championships as well as the World Cup last year.
Bale was called a “genius” in another tweet, and another stated that “he was born to play for Spurs.”

Southampton mirrored same views, referring to him as “one of our own” and a “generational talent.”

Former Southampton and Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp praised Bale as a “great footballer.”

“He could basically do everything,” he continued on Sky Sports News. He had an unbelievable body, was able to run very far, sprint very quickly, shoot with both feet, head it, and dribble.

He was a fantastic man and the total deal. He was a complete player.
Redknapp recalls vividly the night in 2010 at San Siro when Bale made his great entrance with a fantastic hat-trick against Inter Milan.

With 10 men on the field and a 4-0 deficit, Redknapp refrained from giving up on the game and resting players in preparation for the following game.

I feared if I took two or three off we could lose 8-0 or 9-0,” he added.

“I left him on, and he just completely devastated them in the second half. He defeated Maicon and scored three goals. We could have drawn or even won the game if we had played for an additional 10 minutes while they were on the ground. After that, Maicon’s career was in ruins.

“They played us at White Hart Lane two weeks later, and he once again mistreated Maicon. Everyone in the audience was singing “Taxi for Maicon.”

“Wishing the happiest of retirements to a guy I had the absolute pleasure to play beside,” tweeted Rafael van der Vaart, a teammate of that player’s with Tottenham during that time.

Your runs made it a pleasure to help! I’m grateful for all the experiences I have on and off the field. Enjoy your well-earned relaxation, and best of luck in the future, @GarethBale11.
During Bale’s second stint at Spurs, Son Heung-min, who played alongside him, penned the following: “A legend of Spurs and a legend of football. Best wishes on a successful career, @GarethBale11! Good luck in your upcoming chapter, my friend.

Ben Davies, a former Wales teammate who played alongside Bale at both the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2016, wrote on Instagram: “Gareth.. You have had a truly remarkable career.

It was a pleasure to play with you at both club and national levels. Best wishes, and perhaps you’ll be able to join the PGA Tour soon. Welsh Mafia Always

It’s been an honour and an incredible pleasure to play with and against you during your amazing career, said Bale’s former Wales teammate Ashley Williams in an Instagram story. Such wonderful moments! Take advantage of your well-earned retirement.