Gareth Frank Bale is a former professional Welsh footballer.
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Born in Cardiff, Wales, to Frank Bale and Debbie Bale.
He attended Whitchurch High School in Cardiff. He was a keen athlete; he played football alongside future Wales rugby captain Sam Warburton, rugby, hockey, and excelled at athletics.
At age 16 and 275 days, Bale became the second youngest player ever to play for Southampton on 17 April 2006.
On 6 August, he scored his first league goal, a free kick, to level the score at 1–1 against Derby County.
His final game for Southampton was in the first leg of the Championship play-off semi-final against Derby County on 12 May 2007.
In total, he made 45 appearances for Southampton, scoring five goals.
Tottenham Hotspur signed a four-year deal with Bale on 25 May 2007, with the club paying an initial £5 million for the player, potentially rising to £10 million based on appearances and success.
From the 2009–10 season, under the guidance of Harry Redknapp, Bale became an integral part of the team, rising to international attention during the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League.
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Bale was transferred to Real Madrid in 2013 for an undisclosed fee, which was confirmed to be a world-record transfer fee of £85.1 million (€100.8 million).
Internationally, Bale made his senior international debut for Wales in May 2006, becoming the youngest player at that point to represent Wales.
Gareth Bale Golf Handicap: Is Bale a scratch golfer?
A handicap of two means the Wales star is an above average amateur golfer, being so close to ‘scratch’ (0), though he is still not quite as good as the professionals.
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