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Gareth Bale

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Gareth Bale
File:Gareth Bale, saját kép.JPG
Personal information
Full name Gareth Frank Bale
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Position(s) Wing Back/Winger
Team information
Current team
 Tottenham Hotspur
Number 3
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15 October 2008

Gareth Frank Bale (born July 16, 1989) is a Welsh football player, currently playing for Tottenham Hotspur.

In December 2006 he won the Carwyn James Award for the BBC Wales Young Sports Personality of the Year. [1]

Schooldays

Bale was born in Cardiff, the younger of two children, and attended Eglwys Newydd Primary School at Whitchurch. His outstanding talent was evident from very early on, in particular his poise and left foot. It was while at this school he first came to the attention of Southampton at 9 years old, when he was playing in a 5 a side tournament with his first club, Cardiff Civil Service football club.

Bale then attended Whitchurch High School[2] in Cardiff, where, as well as football, he played rugby and hockey and was a distance runner. Because of his superior skills, the school's PE teacher, Gwyn Morris, had to write special rules. These 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 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."[3]

Playing career

Southampton

At the age of 16 years and 275 days, Bale became the second youngest player ever to play for the Saints (after Theo Walcott) when he made his debut on April 17, 2006. He played the whole match as Southampton defeated Millwall 2–0.

On 6 August 2006, Bale scored his first league goal, a free kick, to level the scores at 1–1 against Derby County. The final score at Pride Park was 2–2.[4]

He scored again, at St. Mary's, against Coventry City[5] in the team's second game of the 2006–07 season with another free kick. Bale further developed his reputation as a free kick specialist when he struck the post from one against West Bromwich Albion.[6] By December 16, 2006, Bale's goal count had risen to five, thanks to a late equaliser against Sunderland[7] and free-kicks away to Hull[8] and at home to Norwich City.

To cap his first full season as a professional footballer, Bale was named the Football League Young Player of the Year on 4 March 2007.[9]

His final game for Southampton was in the first leg of the Championship play-off semi-final against Derby County on 12 May 2007. Bale suffered an injury during the second half, preventing him from appearing in the second leg.[10] In total, he made 45 appearances for Southampton, scoring 5 goals.

Tottenham Hotspur

Bale completed a transfer to Tottenham on 25 May 2007, arranging a four-year deal, with Tottenham making an immediate payment of £5 million, with further additional payments that could see Bale's transfer go up to £10m.[11] He played his first game for Spurs in a friendly against St. Patrick's Athletic on 12 July 2007, but was substituted on the 80th minute with a minor dead-leg.

He made his competitive debut for Tottenham Hotspur on August 26 away against Manchester United. In just his second Spurs appearance, he scored his first goal for Tottenham in the 3–3 draw with Fulham on September 1 when he latched on to Robbie Keane's flick, charged down the left flank unopposed and coolly slotted past goalkeeper Antti Niemi.[12] Bale then went on to score again against Arsenal in the North London Derby, scoring a free kick inside the near post of Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia. He continued then scored in the League Cup home tie against Middlesbrough, making it 3 goals in 4 starts for the 18-year-old. He also set up Spurs' goal against Anothorsis Famagusta in the UEFA Cup.

Bale was substituted after sustaining an injury resulting from a tackle from Fabrice Muamba in the league fixture against Birmingham City on 2 December 2007. A scan revealed that Bale had suffered ligament damage to his right ankle, consigning Bale to an extended period on the sidelines. Spurs' sporting director Damien Comolli announced in February 2008 that Bale would miss the rest of the season through injury.[13] He signed a new four-year deal with the club in August 2008.[14] His Premier League record with Tottenham Hotspur reads: Played 17, Won 0, Drawn 7, Lost 10.

Wales

He made the senior Welsh squad at the end of the 2005–06 season and then played his debut on 27 May 2006[15] as a substitute in a 2–1 win over Trinidad and Tobago, making him the youngest ever player to play for Wales[16] aged just 16 years and 315 days to break Lewin Nyatanga's three-month old record. In the game he set up the winner for Robert Earnshaw.

On 7 October 2006, he became the youngest player ever to score a goal for the full Welsh national team in the Euro 2008 qualification match against Slovakia with a trade-mark free kick[17]. He scored his second goal for Wales in a 3–0 win over San Marino on 28 March 2007.

Brian Flynn, the U-21 Wales manager has expressed comments of the potential in Bale as a future star of the game. Bale's left-footed prowess and free kick ability have evoked comparisons to left-footed winger Ryan Giggs, also from Wales.[18]

Career stats

All-Time Club Performance
Club Season League Cup & playoff Europe Total
Games Goals Games Goals Games Goals Games Goals
Southampton 2005–06 2 0 - - - - 2 0
2006–07 38 5 5 0 - - 43 5
Tottenham Hotspur 2007–08 9 2 1 1 3 0 13 3
Career Total 49 7 6 1 3 0 58 8
Correct as of 11:04, 21 August 2008 (UTC)

Honours

Southampton

  • 2006 FA Premier Academy League Championship
  • 2007 Football League Young Player of the Year

Tottenham Hotspur

References

  1. ^ "Calzaghe scoops BBC Wales honour". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved January 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ "Wales Youngest Goal". whitchurchhs.com. Retrieved November 25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ Young Gareth made own rules - The Daily Echo January 13, 2007. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ "Derby 2 Southampton 2". saintsfc.co.uk. Retrieved January 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ "Saints 2 Coventry 0". saintsfc.co.uk. Retrieved January 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ "Saints 0 West Brom 0". saintsfc.co.uk. Retrieved January 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ "Sunderland 1 Saints 1". saintsfc.co.uk. Retrieved January 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ "Hull v Saints". saintsfc.co.uk. Retrieved January 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ "Prestige award for Bale". saintsfc.co.uk. Retrieved March 5. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ "Southampton 1-2 Derby". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved June 3. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ "Tottenham complete Bale transfer". BBC Sport. 2007-05-25. Retrieved 2007-05-25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ "Fulham 3-3 Tottenham". BBC Sport. 2007-09-01. Retrieved 2007-09-02. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ "Injury rules out Bale for season". BBC Sport. 2008-02-04. Retrieved 2008-02-09.
  14. ^ "Bale signs new Tottenham contract". BBC Sport. 2008-08-13. Retrieved 2008-08-13. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ "Bale savours record Wales debut". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved January 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ "Gareth Bale becomes youngest ever Wales international". stellargroup.co.uk. Retrieved January 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  17. ^ "Wales 1-5 Slovakia". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved January 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  18. ^ "The £10 million man". icwales.icnetwork. Retrieved January 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)


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