The bitter truth behind Gareth Bale’s retirement… he hid it throughout his football career

Former Welsh star Gareth Bale revealed the bitter truth that haunted him throughout his football career, explaining that he played for many years suffering from a chronic back injury that he hid from the limelight, and that it was ultimately the main reason behind his retirement from football at the age of 33 years.

Bale, one of the most prominent stars who lived among the Portuguese legends Cristiano Ronaldo and the Argentine Lionel Messi at the height of the rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona, ​​said during his appearance on the “Stick to Football” podcast that his suffering with the back began when he was 18 years old, but he chose to continue playing despite the pain.

He said: “I sometimes needed injections to relieve the pain, and I was constantly working on strengthening my leg muscles, but the problem was that I did not know when the injury might get worse.” He added that he preferred to keep the matter away from the media, for fear of being accused of exaggerating or making excuses.

Bale had announced his retirement in January 2023 after a short experience with the Los Angeles club in the American League, at a time when the public expected more from him than what he had presented in his football career, especially since he had tremendous technical and physical capabilities and speed, but he seemed to be a “glass player” who was often exposed to injuries, which kept him far from the limelight, in addition to the moments of indifference that he showed when he was a player in Real Madrid.

Gareth Bale is considered one of the most prominent names on international football fields and is respected by the Welsh fans, as he led his country to a historic achievement by reaching the semi-finals of the 2016 European Cup, and contributed to qualifying for the 2022 World Cup finals after an absence of 64 years from the major international forum.