Gareth Bale

**Gareth Frank Bale** (born 16 Julie 1989) is a Welsh umwhile fitbawer that playit as a winger. Bale stairtit his professional career at Southampton, playin at left back an becomin kenspeckle fur his free kicks. He went til Tottenham Hotspur in 2007 fur a eventual £7 million fee. Durin his time at Spurs, Bale becam a mair offensive player. Fae the 2009–10 saison, Bale becam a important pairt o the team, risin til internaitional attention durin the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League. He wis named PFA Players' Player of the Year in 2011 an 2013, an wis named in the UEFA Team of the Year in 2011 an 2013.

Bale haes been gien cheers fae his peers, that hae descrieved him as a fitbawer wi "tremendous speed, great crossin ability, a great left fit an exceptional physical qualities". Durin the 2012–13 saison he wis awairdit the PFA Young Player of the Year, the PFA Players' Player of the Year an the FWA Footballer of the Year awairds.

## Early an personal life
Bale wis born in Cairdiff, Wales, tae parents Frank, a schuil caretaker, an Debbie, an operations manager; he attendit Eglwys Newydd Primary School at Whitchurch. He is the nephew o umwhile Cardiff City fitbawer Chris Pike. It wis while at this schuil he first came tae the attention o Southampton at age nine, when he wis playin in a sax-a-side tournament wi his first club, Cardiff Civil Service Football Club. Growin up, his fitbaw hero wis fellae Welshman an Manchester United player Ryan Giggs.

Bale attendit Whitchurch High School in Cairdiff. He wis a keen athlete an played fitbaw alongside future Wales rugby captain Sam Warburton, rugby, hockey an excelled at athletics. As a 14-year-auld he says that he ran the 100 metre sprint in 11.4 seiconts. Acause o his superior fitbawin skill, the schuil's PE teacher, Gwyn Morris, haed tae write special rules which restrictit Bale tae playin ane-touch fitbaw an no uisin his left fuit. Whilst at Whitchurch, Bale trained at Southampton's satellite academy in Bath, awtho thare wis initially some dout if Southampton wad gie him a scholarship due tae his hicht.

Despite bein ainly 16 at the time, he helpit the schuil's unner-18 side win the Cardiff & Vale Senior Cup. He left schuil in the summer o 2005 wi a Grade A in PE in his ither GCSE results. In his final yeir at schuil, he wis awairdit the PE depairtment's prize for services tae sport. In the presentation, Morris commentit: "Gareth has a fierce  determination tae succeed and has the character and qualities tae achieve his personal goals. He is one of the most unselfish individuals that I have had the pleasure tae help educate."

Bale lives in Madrid wi his pairtner Emma Rhys-Jones, his heich schuil sweethert. Thair first bairn, born at the University Hospital of Wales, Cairdiff on 21 October 2012 wis cried Alba Violet.

## Career statistics
### Club

1 Includes Football League Championship play-affs
2  The Spurs goal tally excludes the goal scored agin Fulham on 6 November 2011, later ruled as a awn goal 

### National team

### Internaitional goals
:*Scores and results list Wales' goal tally first.*

## Honours
### Club
;Southampton Academy
* Premier Academy League: 2005–06
      
;Tottenham Hotspur
* League Cup: 2009 rinner-up
 
**Real Madrid**
* Copa del Rey: 2013–14
* UEFA Champions League: 2013–14
* UEFA Super Cup: 2014

### Individual
* Football League Championship PFA Team of the Year: 2006–07
* Football League Young Player of the Year: 2007
* FAW Young Player of the Year: 2007
* FA Cup Player of the Round: 2009–10 5t Round
* Tottenham Hotspur Young Player of the Year: 2009–10, 2010–11
*Tottenham Hotspur 'Player Of The Year': 2012–13
* Wales Player of the Year Awaird: 2010, 2011
* BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year: 2010
* BBC Wales Carwyn James Junior Sportsman of the Year: 2006
* Premier League PFA Team of the Year: 2010–11], 2011–12, 2012–13
* FWA Footballer of the Year: 2012–13
* PFA Players' Player of the Year: 2010–11, 2012–13
* PFA Young Player of the Year: 2012–13
* UEFA Team of the Year: 2011, 2013
* Premier League Player of the Month: Apryle 2010, Januar 2012, Februar 2013

## References

## Freemit airtins

* Real Madrid profile
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* Wales profile 
* Premier League profile 
* ESPN Soccernet Profile
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