TThroughout his career, Gareth Bale has not only left his mark on every team he has played for, but has also shared dressing rooms and memorable moments with some of football’s most iconic figures.
For this reason, when he had to form his ideal team with former team-mates, most of his picks were colleagues from Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid.
Bale’s ideal eleven
Gareth Bale has established himself as one of the most influential footballers of his generation, particularly excelling at Real Madrid between 2013 and 2022. During his time at the club, he amassed an impressive list of trophies, including five Champions League titles, three La Liga titles and four Club World Cups.
In addition to his success in Spain, Bale led the Wales national team as their all-time leading scorer with 41 goals in 111 appearances, starting with Southampton and continuing his career with Tottenham Hotspur. Finally, the Welsh star decided to retire on January 9, 2023, at the age of 33, bringing an end to a legendary career that also included time at Los Angeles FC.
Given his wealth of experience, the Welsh star was asked to pick his dream team among his former team-mates in an interview on the Icon series.
Bale named Thibaut Courtois, who played 51 games for Real Madrid, as the best goalkeeper. Defensively, he selected Kyle Walker as his right-back after playing 84 games together at Tottenham. Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane were chosen as centre-backs, with Marcelo selected as left-back.
The Real Madrid trio of Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric marked an era at the Santiago Bernabé and, unsurprisingly, Bale included them in his squad. In fact, Luka played alongside the former forward for four seasons at Tottenham (2008-2012) and was one of the players who provided Gareth with the most assists.
Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo were next named on the left, and were obvious choices for Real Madrid fans. The ‘BBC’ trio took the team to the highest level, winning a total of 13 titles, including an historic three consecutive Champions League titles in 2016, 2017 and 2018. They had previously won one in 2014.
Finally, Bale said that if he couldn’t choose, he would choose Eden Hazard, despite having only played 11 games with the former Tottenham player.
Although a very solid team, opinions were divided among the fans. Some agreed with his selection, while others pointed to the notable absences of Harry Kane, Iker Casillas and Dani Carvajal.
But Bale’s starting eleven is not only distinguished by the legendary figures it has assembled, but also reflects his personal view of talent. It’s a combination of an established star and players who, while not necessarily the most famous, have left a special mark on his career.
Bale’s dream team:
Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois. Defenders: Kyle Walker, Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane, Marcelo. Midfield: Luka Modri, Toni Kroos, Casemiro. Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Eden Hazard or himself.
