One of soccer’s all-time greats is calling it a career. According to ESPN.com, Welsh’s Gareth Bale announced his retirement Monday after 17 illustrious seasons.
“After careful and thoughtful consideration, I announce my immediate retirement from club and international football,” said the 33-year-old. “I feel incredibly fortunate to have realized my dream of playing the sport I love. It has truly given me some of the best moments of my life. The highest of highs over 17 seasons, that will be impossible to replicate, no matter what the next chapter has in store for me.”
A true legend, Bale spent time at the club level with Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid, and LAFC, scoring 141 goals in 394 appearances while winning five Champions League trophies.
The Cardiff native also excelled on the international stage, leading Wales to their first World Cup appearance in 64 years.
“The fortune of being Welsh and being selected to play for and captain Wales has given something incomparable to anything else I’ve experienced,” said Bale. “I am honored and humbled to have been able to play a part in the history of this incredible country, to have felt the support of the red wall, and together have been to unexpected and amazing places. So, for now, I am stepping back, but not away from the team that lives in me and runs through my veins. After all, the dragon on my shirt is all I need. Together Stronger.”
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