Gareth Bale: Polarising, prolific and just short of Messi and Ronaldo's greatness

Wales forward announced his retirement from football on Monday

Gareth Bale kisses the Uefa Champions League trophy following Real Madrid's win over Liverpool at NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kyiv on May 26, 2018. Getty

Gareth Bale scores an overhead kick for Real Madrid in the 2018 Champions League final win over Liverpool. Getty

Gareth Bale on his Wales debut against Trinidad and Tobago in the Graz-Liebenau Stadium in Graz, Austria, on May 27, 2006. Getty

Gareth Bale during a Wales training session at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, in October 2006. Getty

Gareth Bale scores from a free kick for Wales during the Euro 2008 qualifying match against Slovakia in Cardiff on October 7, 2006. Getty

Southampton's Gareth Bale battles with Sylvain Legwinski of Ipswich during the Championship match at St Mary's Stadium in February 2007. Getty

Gareth Bale of Southampton applauds the fans after the Championship match against Colchester United at St Mary's Stadium in March 2007. Getty

Left to right: New Tottenham signings Younes Kaboul, Darren Bent and Gareth Bale on July 5, 2007. Getty

Gareth Bale in action for Tottenham against Arsenal during the Premier League match at White Hart Lane in September 2007. Getty

Tottenham's Gareth Bale battles with Mihael Mikic of Dinamo Zagreb during the Uefa Cup match at White Hart Lane in November 2008. Getty

Gareth Bale of Tottenham ahead of the Premier League match against Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok Stadium in September 2007. Getty

Spurs' Gareth Bale is challenged by Maurizio Domizzi of Udinese during the Uefa Cup match at the Stadio Friuli in October 2008. Getty

Gareth Bale of Tottenham crosses the ball during the League Cup fourth-round match against Liverpool at White Hart Lane in November 2008. Getty

Spurs' Gareth Bale argues with referee Howard Webb after he awarded a penalty during the Premier League match against Liverpool at Anfield in January 2010. Getty

Gareth Bale of Spurs and West Ham's Kieron Dyer compete for the ball during the Premier League match at Upton Park in September 2010. Getty

Gareth Bale celebrates scoring for Wales in their World Cup qualifier against Scotland at Cardiff City Stadium in October 2012. Getty

Gareth Bale at the Santiago Bernabeu after joining Real Madrid in September 2013. Getty

Real Madrid's Gareth Bale celebrates after scoring during the Spanish Copa del Rey final against Barcelona at the Mestalla Stadium in Valencia in April 2014. AFP

Wales forward Gareth Bale is mobbed after scoring during the Euro 2016 match against Slovakia at the Stade de Bordeaux in July 2016. AFP

Gareth Bale of Real Madrid lifts the Champions League trophy after beating Juventus in the 2017 final in Cardiff. Getty

Real Madrid's Gareth Bale battles with Manchester City defender Vincent Kompany during their International Champions Cup pre-season friendly match at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in July 2017. AFP

Gareth Bale celebrates scoring Real Madrid's second goal during the Champions League final against Liverpool in 2018. Getty

Gareth Bale celebrates after Wales' second goal during the Euro 2020 match against Turkey at Baku Olympic Stadium in June 2021. Getty

Gareth Bale is unveiled as a Los Angeles FC player in July 2022. AFP

Gareth Bale waves to Los Angeles FC fans before a game against the Los Angeles Galaxy at Banc of California Stadium in July 2022. Getty

LAFC's Gareth Bale looks on during the Leagues Cup friendly football match between USA's Los Angeles FC and Mexico's Club America at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on August 3, 2022. AFP

Gareth Bale celebrates after Wales's victory in the 2022 World Cup play-off against Austria at Cardiff City Stadium in March 2022. Getty

Gareth Bale during his final match for Wales - a Qatar World Cup defeat against England on November 29, 2022. AFP

Gareth Bale's announcement Monday that he has retired from football brings down the curtain on a career packed with trophies and highlight reels but also one that leaves the lingering question of whether he truly reached the heights his talent was capable of.

Straight off the bat let's acknowledge that Bale has legitimate claims to being Britain's greatest footballing export. A world-record transfer to Real Madrid in 2013 was earned off the back of a three-year spell at Tottenham Hotspur in which he progressed from timid teenage left-back winless in his first 24 games to swashbuckling forward whose goals took Spurs to the Champions League.

Wales' then-youngest debutant in May 2006 became its undisputed talismanic leader when the principality qualified for Euro 2016, a first major tournament in almost 60 years. He would go on to lead his country to the semi-finals in France as well as qualification for a further two major tournaments, including last year's World Cup in Qatar.

He retires, at age 33, as Wales' all-time top appearance maker and scorer with 41 goals, leaving luminaries such as Ian Rush, Mark Hughes, Ryan Giggs and John Charles trailing in his wake.

YouTube was invented to immortalise players like Bale: The memorable hat-trick in a 4-3 Champions League loss against Inter Milan at the San Siro, a match that still gives Maicon nightmares; the sprint and sumptuous solo to win the Copa del Rey against Barcelona, Marc Bartra still trying to catch up with him nine years later; the outrageous overhead kick against Liverpool which secured a 13th European Cup for Real Madrid.

And yet somehow Bale's feels like a story only half told.

Bale was as polarising as he was prolific, particularly at Real Madrid. In almost any other case, a player who scored over 100 goals, won three La Liga titles and five Champions Leagues - scoring in two of those finals and a penalty in a shootout in another - would be afforded not just cult status but hero worship. Statues have been built for players who achieved much less.

Bale's seemingly never-ending injury problems and the perception he preferred to spend his free time on the golf course rather than immerse himself in Spanish culture irked supporters, but he is by no means the only footballer with a set of clubs who refused to learn the local lingo.

A return to Tottenham on loan for the 2020/21 season only seemed to undermine his achievements during his first spell in North London, despite a return of 16 goals in 34 appearances.

Few tears were shed by Madridistas when Bale ended his nine-year stay at the club and signed for Los Angeles FC in June 2022, but even his time Stateside feels underwhelming despite helping the club lift the MLS Cup for the first time.

While Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were breaking records and battling it out each year to be crowned Ballon d'Or winner, Bale, at least for a short period during his time at Madrid, came as close as anyone to challenging their hegemony.

No one is putting Bale on the same pedestal as those two behemoths, but on the next rung down on the ladder of great players, he was easily the equal of Robert Lewandowski, Karim Benzema and Neymar.

Bale's time in football, as a player at least, may be over but the debate over his impact and place in the pantheon of greats is sure to rage on.

Los Angeles FC forward Gareth Bale celebrates after scoring during extra time in the MLS Cup final against Philadelphia Union. USA Today

Gareth Bale scores the late leveller for Los Angeles against Philadelphia Union in extra time. Getty

Los Angeles FC defender Diego Palacios and Gareth Bale celebrate after defeating the Philadelphia Union in a penalty shootout to win the MLS Cup. AP

Gareth Bale celebrates after scoring the equalising goal. AP

Union's Deniel Gazdag after missing a penalty in the shootout. AFP

Denis Bouanga of Los Angeles FC after scoring a penalty. AFP

Los Angeles FC forward Carlos Vela celebrates with the Philip F Anschutz Trophy. USA Today

Will Ferrell celebrates with Los Angeles FC players and the MLS Cup. USA Today

Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber watch the 2022 MLS Cup Final. AFP

Los Angeles FC players, staff and owners celebrate after defeating the Philadelphia Union. AFP

Carlos Vela lifts the trophy. AFP

Los Angeles FC chairman and CEO Magic Johnson, left, celebrates after defeating the Philadelphia Union. AP

Los Angeles FC players celebrate. USA Today