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Gareth Bale voted the best ever player to come from the United Kingdom

Home> Football

Updated 18:09 9 Jan 2023 GMTPublished 18:08 9 Jan 2023 GMT

Gareth Bale voted the best ever player to come from the United Kingdom

Gareth Bale is the United Kingdom's best ever player, according to an online poll.

Josh Lawless

Josh Lawless

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Gareth Bale has been voted the greatest ever player to come from the United Kingdom.

The Welsh legend announced his retirement from club and international football on Monday, calling time on what has been a glittering and trophy-laden career in the game.

Bale claimed five Champions Leagues and three La Liga titles with Real Madrid and captained his country in the European Championships and World Cup.

He scored in two Champions League finals, notably delivering one of the best goals in the competition's history when he produced an outrageous overhead kick to sink Liverpool in 2018.

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Bale did it on the biggest stage in his 17-year stint in the game and fans feel as though he is the best player to hail from these shores.

SPORTbible put out a poll on Twitter and after 46,000 votes, Bale emerged victorious ahead of Wayne Rooney, George Best and Kenny Dalglish.

He garnered 36.4%, just edging out Manchester United and England's record goalscorer Rooney, who finished on 33.1% per cent.

Bale came through the famed Southampton academy and became the second youngest player ever to play for the Saints at the age of 16 years and 275 days.

He then moved on to Spurs in 2007 and after a difficult start, transformed into a world-beater for the North London club.

Image: Alamy
Image: Alamy

Shining in the 2010/11 season and scoring THAT hat-trick against Inter Milan in the Champions League, Bale won the PFA Player of the Year award on two occasions.

His second prize came in his final year at Spurs when he produced a stellar, 21-goal 2012/13 campaign.

Bale would then join Real for a then-world record fee of £85.3 million and established himself as one of the best players in world football.

Image: Alamy
Image: Alamy

Though the fans turned on him towards the end, Bale made over 258 appearances for Real, scoring 106 times and lifting 19 trophies.

The 33-year-old ended his club career by scoring a 127th-minute goal for LAFC in their MLS Cup win over Philadelphia Union.

He made an 111th and final appearance for Wales in the 3-0 World Cup Group B defeat to England on 29 November.

Featured Image Credit: Alamy

Topics: Gareth Bale, Tottenham Hotspur, Wales, Real Madrid, Wayne Rooney

Josh Lawless
Josh Lawless

Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and WWE. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has covered two WrestleMania events for SPORTbible.

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@joshlawless_

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