Gareth Bale

Gareth Frank Bale (born 16 July 1989) is a Welsh professional footballer who plays as a winger for Real Madrid and the Wales national team. Renowned for his ball striking from distance, his swerving free-kicks, and his ability to get past defenders with pace, Bale has received plaudits from his peers, who have described him as a footballer with "tremendous speed, great crossing ability, a great left foot and exceptional physical qualities".

He began his professional career at Southampton, playing at left-back and earning acclaim as a free kick specialist. Bale moved to Tottenham Hotspur in 2007, for an eventual £7 million fee. During his time at Spurs, managerial and tactical shifts saw him transform into a more offensive player. From the 2009–10 season, Under the guidance of Harry Redknapp, Bale became an integral part of the team, rising to international attention during the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League. In 2011 and 2013 he was named PFA Players' Player of the Year, and was named in the UEFA Team of the Year. In 2013 he was also named PFA Young Player of the Year and the FWA Footballer of the Year.

On 1 September 2013, Bale was transferred to Spanish team Real Madrid for an undisclosed fee. The Spanish press and Real Madrid TV reported £77 million (€91 million), while the English press reported a world record transfer fee of £85.3 million (€100 million), which would be above Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer record fee of £80 million (€94 million). He played an integral role in his first season at Real Madrid, helping the club to win the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League, scoring in both finals. The following season he won the UEFA Super Cup and scored in a third major final to help the club win the FIFA Club World Cup.

Bale made his senior international debut for Wales in May 2006, becoming the youngest player at that point to represent the nation. He has since earned over 50 caps and scored 19 international goals, making him Wales' joint fifth-highest scorer of all time. He was the top goalscorer for Wales in their successful qualifying campaign for UEFA Euro 2016, scoring seven goals.

Early life and career
Bale was born in Cardiff, Wales, to parents Frank, a school caretaker, and Debbie, an operations manager; he attended Eglwys Newydd Primary School at Whitchurch. He is the nephew of former Cardiff City footballer Chris Pike. It was while at this school he first came to the attention of Southampton at age nine, when he was playing in a six-a-side tournament with his first club, Cardiff Civil Service Football Club. Growing up, his football hero was fellow Welshman and Manchester United player Ryan Giggs.

Bale attended Whitchurch High School in Cardiff. He was a keen athlete and played football alongside future Wales rugby captain Sam Warburton, rugby, hockey and excelled at athletics. As a 14-year-old he says that he ran the 100 metre sprint in 11.4 seconds. Because of his superior footballing skill, the school's PE teacher, Gwyn Morris, had to write special rules which restricted Bale to playing one-touch football and not using his left foot. Whilst at Whitchurch, Bale trained at Southampton's satellite academy in Bath, although there was initially some doubt if Southampton would give him a scholarship due to his height.

Despite being only 16 at the time, he helped the school's under-18 side win the Cardiff & Vale Senior Cup. He left school in the summer of 2005 with a Grade A in PE amongst his other GCSE results. In his final year at school, he was awarded the PE department's prize for services to sport. In the presentation, Morris commented:

"Gareth has a fierce determination to succeed and has the character and qualities to achieve his personal goals. He is one of the most unselfish individuals that I have had the pleasure to help educate."

Outside football
Personal life
Bale lives in Madrid with his partner Emma Rhys-Jones, his high school sweetheart. Their first child, Alba Violet, was born at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff on 21 October 2012.

Trademark application
On 26 March 2013, Bale filed an application with the Intellectual Property Office to register a logo based on his "heart" goal celebration along with his squad number, 11, to be used on a range of merchandise such as clothing and footwear.

Endorsements and wealth
Bale is featured in EA Sports' FIFA video game series, and he has appeared on the British, Irish and Middle Eastern covers of FIFA 14, alongside global cover star Lionel Messi. His 'heart' goal celebration is featured in FIFA 14.

Bale has endorsed several companies in his career and has current deals with Adidas, EA Sports, Lucozade and BT Sport. He receives a yearly salary of £15 million with Real Madrid, while his endorsements earn him an estimated £10 million per year. In March 2014, Bale was the first player to wear the Adidas F50 crazylight football boots.

Philanthropy
In November 2014, Bale appeared in FIFA's "11 against Ebola" campaign with a selection of top football players from around the world, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Xavi and African star Didier Drogba. Under the slogan "Together, we can beat Ebola", FIFA's campaign was done in conjunction with the Confederation of African Football and health experts, with the players holding up eleven messages to raise awareness of the disease and ways to combat it.