Gareth Bale announces retirement from club and international football

"I feel incredibly fortunate to have realised 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."

Bale began his senior career at then-Championship side Southampton, which exposed the 17-year-old to professional football before he moved to Tottenham Hotspur two years later.

Real Madrid acquired Bale for what British media estimated to be a world record sum of 100 million euros ($107.45 million) after Bale spent six seasons in the Premier League. Bale is unquestionably most remembered for his tenure with the Spanish giants, where he amassed 81 goals in 176 games across all competitions.

Bale won five Champions Leagues during that span, which is tied for the second-highest total ever after Paco Gento of Los Blancos. He also won three La Liga championships during that period and a Copa del Rey trophy.

Bale departs Los Angeles FC, his most recent club, after joining them in July 2022. There, he won the MLS Cup, his final title to date, after scoring his own equaliser in the 128th minute.

"From my very first touch at Southampton to my last with LAFC and everything in between, shaped a club career that I have an immense pride and gratitude for," Bale added.

"Playing for and captaining my country 111 times has truly been a dream come true."

In a separate statement, the footballer thanked the Welsh fans and team and said his choice to leave international football had been "by far the hardest of my career."

"The fortune of being Welsh and being selected to play for and captain Wales, has given me something incomparable to anything else I’ve experienced."

"I am honoured and humbled to have been able to play a part in the history of this incredible country, to have felt the support and passion of the red wall, and together (we) have been to unexpected and amazing places.

"I shared a dressing room with boys that became brothers, and backroom staff that became family," he added.

In his retirement statement, the legendary player alluded to "a new adventure," which prompted some to speculate that he would now pursue a career in golf. However, nothing has been verified at this time.