Gareth Bale

Infobox Football biography
playername = Gareth Bale


fullname = Gareth Frank Bale
height = height|ft=6|in=0
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1989|7|16|df=y
cityofbirth = Cardiff
countryofbirth = Wales
currentclub = Tottenham Hotspur
clubnumber = 3
position = Wing Back
youthyears =
youthclubs = Southampton
years = 2005–2007
2007–
clubs = Southampton
Tottenham Hotspur
caps(goals) = 40 (5)
14 (2)
nationalyears = 2006–
2006–
nationalteam = Wales U21
Wales
nationalcaps(goals) = 04 (0)
14 (2)
pcupdate = 21 September 2008
ntupdate = 11 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. [cite web | title= Calzaghe scoops BBC Wales honour
work= news.bbc.co.uk | url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/wales/6157171.stm | accessdate=January 21| accessyear=2007 ]

chooldays

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 [cite web | title=Wales Youngest Goal
work=whitchurchhs.com| url=http://www.whitchurchhs.com/school_news/Wales_Youngest/wales_youngest.htm | accessdate=November 25 | accessyear=2006] 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." [cite book| title=Young Gareth made own rules - The Daily Echo January 13, 2007|accessdate=January 21|accessyear=2007]

Playing career

outhampton

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. [cite web | title=Derby 2 Southampton 2| work= saintsfc.co.uk | url= http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/match/?page_id=6599&t=2&fixture=2693144 | accessdate=January 21| accessyear=2007 ]

He scored again, at St. Mary's, against Coventry City [cite web | title=Saints 2 Coventry 0 | work= saintsfc.co.uk | url= http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/?page_id=7302| accessdate=January 21| accessyear=2007 ] 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. [cite web | title=Saints 0 West Brom 0 | work= saintsfc.co.uk |url= http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/?page_id=7330| accessdate=January 21| accessyear=2007 ] By December 16, 2006, Bale's goal count had risen to five, thanks to a late equaliser against Sunderland [cite web | title=Sunderland 1 Saints 1 | work= saintsfc.co.uk |url= http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/?page_id=7718| accessdate=January 21| accessyear=2007 ] and free-kicks away to Hull [cite web | title=Hull v Saints
work= saintsfc.co.uk |url= http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/articles/article.php?page_id=7811| accessdate=January 21| accessyear=2007 ] 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. [cite web | title=Prestige award for Bale| work= saintsfc.co.uk |url=http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/articles/article.php?page_id=8260| accessdate=March 5| accessyear=2007 ]

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. [cite web | title=Southampton 1-2 Derby | work= news.bbc.co.uk |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/6645679.stm| accessdate=June 3| accessyear=2007 ] 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. [cite web|url=http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/t/tottenham_hotspur/6693839.stm|title=Tottenham complete Bale transfer|work=BBC Sport|accessdate=2007-05-25|date=2007-05-25] 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. [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/6963700.stm |title=Fulham 3-3 Tottenham|work=BBC Sport|accessdate=2007-09-02|date=2007-09-01] 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. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/t/tottenham_hotspur/7226918.stm|title=Injury rules out Bale for season|publisher=BBC Sport|date=2008-02-04|accessdate=2008-02-09] He siged a new four-year deal with the club in August 2008.cite news| title = Bale signs new Tottenham contract| url = http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/t/tottenham_hotspur/7558883.stm| publisher = BBC Sport| date = 2008-08-13| accessdate = 2008-08-13]

Wales

He made the senior Welsh squad at the end of the 2005–06 season and then played his debut on 27 May 2006 [cite web | title= Bale savours record Wales debut | work= news.bbc.co.uk| url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/5024788.stm | accessdate=January 21| accessyear=2007 ] as a substitute in a 2–1 win over Trinidad and Tobago, making him the youngest ever player to play for Wales [cite web | title= Gareth Bale becomes youngest ever Wales international
work= stellargroup.co.uk | url= http://www.stellargroup.co.uk/news.php?newsid=1701| accessdate=January 21| accessyear=2007 ] 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 [cite web | title= Wales 1-5 Slovakia | work= news.bbc.co.uk | url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/5361822.stm | accessdate=January 21| accessyear=2007 ] . 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. [cite web | title= The £10 million man| work= icwales.icnetwork | url= http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0600soccer/0200news/tm_headline=the--10-million-man&method=full&objectid=18493835&siteid=50082-name_page.html | accessdate=January 21| accessyear=2007 ]

Career stats

^{Correct as of 11:04, 21 August 2008 (UTC)}

Honours

As a player

With Southampton

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

With "'Tottenham Hotspur F. C.

* 2008 Carling Cup

References

External links

*FIFA player|299610|Gareth Bale
*soccerbase|id=43700|name=Gareth Bale
* [http://www.theworldgame.com.au/home/index.php?pid=feat&cid=75510 Bale enjoying a fairytale start]
* [http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0600soccer/0650wales/tm_headline=bend-it-like-bale-&method=full&objectid=18358398&siteid=50082-name_page.html#story_continue Feature on icwales.co.uk]

Persondata
NAME=Bale, Gareth Frank
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Bale, Gareth
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Welsh footballer
DATE OF BIRTH=16 July 1989
PLACE OF BIRTH=Cardiff, Wales
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=