Gareth Bale has brought an end to an illustrious playing career after announcing his retirement at the age of 33.
The forward hangs up his boots with a record of 226 goals in 664 games from spells with Southampton, Tottenham, Real Madrid, Los Angeles FC and on the international stage with Wales.
Initially a left-back, Bale was utilised further forward by Harry Redknapp at Spurs which sparked the start of an incredible transformation of the player – who would go on to make a significant impression at both club and international level.
Here, we've taken a look back at some of the finest moments from Bale's career.
San Siro statement
On October 20, 2010, Bale gave Tottenham fans memories to last a lifetime with a stunning hat-trick in a Champions League group stage fixture against Inter at San Siro in a year that marked Spurs' first-ever involvement in the competition.
Four goals down at half-time and down to 10 men, Bale enjoyed a meteoric display in the second period that, despite Spurs losing 4-3, still stands as one of the greatest individual performances in the competition's history.
A hat-trick saw the then 21-year-old display his raw pace and strength, tormenting opposing players Maicon and Javier Zanetti, propelling him into stardom and setting the path for a remarkable career.
World record transfer & Copa del Rey Clasico
A six-year spell in north London came to a close in 2013, when Real Madrid splashed a then world record fee of €100.8 million (£85.1m), a figure that surpassed the previous record set by Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Santiago Bernabeu from Manchester United.
Scoring on his debut against Villarreal, the first half of Bale's inaugural season in Spain was plagued by injuries and came alongside some media criticism – something that he would have to endure throughout the majority of his spell with Los Blancos.
A starring moment came in the 2014 Copa del Rey final against Barcelona, however, outsprinting Marc Barta and even exiting the field on his way to goal before tucking home his first El Clasico strike.
Champions League glories
Just over a month after scoring in the Copa del Rey final, Bale was at it again in the Champions League final against Atletico Madrid – putting his team ahead in the 110th minute of an eventual 4-1 victory to seal Madrid's 10th European Cup, the fabled La Decima.
In 2015-16, Bale won the Champions League for a second time, Atletico on the receiving end yet again, retaining the trophy the following season against Juventus in his home city of Cardiff, and winning a third in a row in 2017-18, where Bale added to his incredible highlight reel.
Against Liverpool in Kyiv, Bale scored an overhead kick from the edge of the 18-yard box to give Madrid a 2-1 advantage, then doubling his tally for the game with a speculative 30-yard effort that goalkeeper Loris Karius fumbled into the net.
Euro semi-finalists
While criticism at club level with Madrid was rife, Bale continued to be the leading man on the international stage for Wales and excelled for his nation at Euro 2016, the first time they had featured at the tournament.
Bale scored in all three of Wales' group-stage matches against Slovakia, England and Russia as Chris Coleman's side topped the group, with victories against Northern Ireland and Belgium to follow in the knockout stage.
An incredible tournament came to a close in the semi-finals with a 2-0 defeat to eventual champions Portugal but Wales returned five years later at the rearranged Euro 2020, where they reached the last 16.
MLS Cup victory
Bale's Madrid career ended in June 2022, fresh from picking up a fifth Champions League victory, as he completed a move to Major League Soccer to join Los Angeles FC.
LAFC won the Supporter's Shield in the regular season, though Bale was mostly unused, but he made his impact in the MLS Cup as his side won the title for the first time, having joined the league in 2017.
Bale came off the bench to score in the 128th minute against Philadelphia Union, sending the contest to a penalty shoot-out that LAFC subsequently won.
World Cup
After a 64-year absence, Wales returned to the World Cup stage after qualifying for the 2022 tournament in Qatar – which would prove to be Bale's last involvement as a player for either club or country.
An 82nd-minute penalty against the United States saw Bale score on his tournament debut as Wales begun the group stage with a point, but two stoppage-time goals in the second game gave Iran a shock victory.
Wales' campaign came to an early end with a 3-0 defeat to England in the final group match, marking a disappointing end to Bale's international career.
Pochettino hopeful James can play part for Chelsea after returning to training
Mauricio Pochettino is hoping to have Reece James available for Chelsea's trip to Nottingham Forest following the club captain's return to training.
Chelsea confirmed on their official website on Friday that the England international is "back in full team training" after five months out.
James' latest absence came as a result of undergoing surgery on a recurring hamstring injury, which forced him off in the 2-0 loss to Everton in December.
The 24-year-old has played just 452 minutes for Chelsea in all competitions this season - down on the 1,936 he managed in 2022-23.
However, James now has a chance of featuring in Saturday's match against relegation-threatened Forest at City Ground.
"We need to see today but maybe he can be available in the squad, yes," Pochettino said at Friday's pre-match news conference.
"The most important thing is Reece James is going to be there for us. We have an amazing relationship and of course he is an amazing player.
"I know it is not easy always when you come from a long-term injury. The most important thing is that he can be available and can be part of the squad. If he can play five, 10, 15, 20 or 30 minutes it will be amazing.
"I am happy because we are going to be in the last week of the season and nearly all the players will be fit to be available. It is a good end and to see the future more optimistic."
Chelsea enter the game on a two-match winning run and unbeaten in three, ensuring they remain in the mix for a top-six finish.
After the trip to Forest, the Blues round off their campaign with games away at Brighton and home to Bournemouth.
Pochettino added: "It’s true that some good results in the last few weeks increased our belief and, of course, when you win games and the performance is good also.
"With the circumstances of having 12 or 14 players out, that gives more value to the performance and to the victories.
"I think the team is ready to face the last three games and I think it's important for us. An important objective is to try to be in Europe and of course we are focusing on the next game."
Jurgen Klopp defends 'unlucky' Darwin Nunez amid Liverpool exit talk
Jurgen Klopp insists he is not aware of any speculation regarding the future of Darwin Nunez as he defended the out-of-form forward.
Nunez missed a good chance in last weekend's 4-2 win over Tottenham as his run without a goal extended to an eighth game in all competitions.
The Uruguay international came in for criticism and later deleted all images of himself in a Liverpool shirt on his personal Instagram account.
Rumours regarding a possible end-of-season exit for Nunez have circulated in recent weeks, with Barcelona supposedly among those interested.
However, when asked about the 24-year-old at Friday's press conference, Klopp said: "There is no speculation. That must be external.
"I'm not involved in that anymore. It's just the situation we're in. He was definitely not happy missing that chance [against Tottenham].
"He has been unlucky in so many situations. He does everything right and the ball doesn't go in. There are no alternatives but going through it."
Nunez has 31 goals and assists combined in all competitions this season - a tally only Mohamed Salah (38) can better among Liverpool players.
He is in contention to feature for Liverpool against Aston Villa on Monday as the Reds look to end Klopp's tenure on a winning run.
The German has just two games left in charge, with the contest at Villa Park followed by the visit of Wolves at Anfield six days later.
Klopp risks having to watch that Anfield finale from the stands, though, as he will incur a touchline suspension should he receive a yellow card against Villa.
Asked about that possibility, Klopp told reporters: "I've known this for a long time. I've only got two yellow cards [this season]. A few of my colleagues have already got suspended, so I've got calmer over the years.
"I don't need to be on the touchline [for the final game with Wolves], but it would be cool. It will not be from my side, but I will try absolutely everything not to be involved in any discussions!"
Everton withdraw appeal against two-point Premier League deduction
Everton have withdrawn their appeal against a two-point deduction issued for a breach of the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules.
Last November, the Toffees were hit with a 10-point deduction for breaching the competition's financial rules during a four-year assessment period ending in 2021-22, though that penalty was reduced to six points on appeal.
They were then – along with Nottingham Forest – charged with breaching again in the period culminating in the end of last season.
An independent commission found Everton had exceeded the maximum loss limit of £105million by £16.6m during that latter period, issuing a further two-point deduction, which the club pledged to appeal.
However, Everton have since secured safety with relative ease, winning four straight home games against Burnley, Nottingham Forest, Liverpool and Brentford last month.
They now sit 11 points clear of the bottom three with just two games remaining ahead of Saturday's meeting with already-relegated Sheffield United.
Having seen Forest fail in an attempt to overturn or reduce a four-point penalty for their breach, Everton have opted to let their punishment stand.
In a statement, the club said: "Everton Football Club has withdrawn its appeal of the decision by a Premier League independent commission to impose a two-point penalty for a breach of profit and sustainability rules for the accounting period ending in June 2023.
"A hearing, scheduled for later this month, will now not proceed and the club will conclude the 2023-24 season with the two-point deduction remaining in place."
While Everton have confirmed their top-flight status for next season, uncertainty continues to surround the club, with a prospective takeover by Miami-based investment group 777 Partners yet to be ratified, despite the deal being agreed in September.
The Everton Shareholders' Association (EFCSA) has called for majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri to cancel the deal amid continued doubts regarding 777's ability to fund the club.
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