Gareth Bale: Why Wales captain chose to join Los Angeles FC after leaving Real Madrid

JUNE 27: The Wales captain spent nine trophy-laden years at Real Madrid, yet about half of that time was set to the backdrop of perpetual conjecture about his future.

Even scoring one of the greatest goals in Champions League history did not stem the tides of gossip. Moments after his stunning overhead kick helped Real beat Liverpool in the 2018 final, he said in an interview on the pitch that he would be speaking to his agent to discuss his options.