In 2013, Gareth Bale made global headlines by joining Real Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur for a then world-record fee of £85.3m (BBC).
Seven years later, it is safe to say that a 30-year-old Bale has plenty to show for his time in sunny Spain, even if he isn’t always the most popular figure among Los Blancos fans.
The Welshman has racked up 249 appearances for Madrid, scoring 105 goals in that time. He also has four Champions League titles and one La Liga title to his name (Wikipedia).
Before his big-money move, Bale enjoyed a meteoric rise to prominence in a Spurs shirt, going from a young and shy left-back to a world-beating forward within the space of two years.
The former Lilywhite has now opened up on his mindset after making that world-record move to play with the likes of Ronaldo in Madrid.
He said (Erik Anders Lang interview): “I know there’s no such thing in the United States, because the system is more exchange-based there, but when a club in Europe buys you for a lot of money, there’s a lot of pressure because God knows how many millions have been paid for you.
“There is this pressure to present yourself in the right way.
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“When my transfer came about, it was a little strange. I knew it was a world record then, but I never really thought about it. I left it and I just wanted to play ball.
“What happened happened happened, and I tried to show my best side on the pitch.
“You know, a lot of people said I had to prove my worth, but I came up with a different approach and I dropped the burden.”
Spurs Web Opinion:
Bale has conducted himself well over the past five years, all things considered. The Real Madrid fans have treated him poorly considering what he has achieved at the club. I can’t blame him for wanting to play golf instead of getting booed for trying his best on the pitch.
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