Gareth Bale

[KILLA_SIN]

Hes won everything there is to be won maybe his ambition has gone. I still feel as though by going to Madrid at the same time as CR he fell short of being one of the greats, never really understood why wanted to be in his shadow.

 

[pelayo59]

On the one hand I'd be delighted with China as I've never wanted him to leave Madrid for a PL rival, but at the same time it would feel like such a waste of talent at his age!

Of course he could always go to China and then join us on loan...

Any Chinese clubs sponsored by AIA?

 

[Spurrific]

If he ends up over there, he’s a wanker to be honest.

You can’t take money with you, but you also can’t take trophies with you.

Actually maybe he’s right to go.

 

[WannaDanceWithUdogie]

Fully believe if we offered the money/subsidie wages he would take a pay cut to come back instead of China

 

[Schitzophonic]

Any Chinese clubs sponsored by AIA?

The entire Singaporean Premier League is...

EDIT: No way in hell is this realistic though. I lived there for a bit and the level is well below par (excuse the Bale/golf pun)

 

[Yiddo100]

It’s all just a big misunderstanding, the only reason he’s going China is to meet up with us on our pre season tour

 

[Guntz]

Meh the guys won 4 champions leagues, how many players can even get close to that?

He’ll go down as one of the most successful British players of all time and if he’s mentally checked out of football and wants to collect as much as he can then fair play imo.

 

[KILLA_SIN]

Meh the guys won 4 champions leagues, how many players can even get close to that?

He’ll go down as one of the most successful British players of all time and if he’s mentally checked out of football and wants to collect as much as he can then fair play imo.

He’s not going to be remembered like that though, successful yes, but not like he should of been as one of the worlds best.

 

[Guntz]

He’s not going to be remembered like that though, successful yes, but not like he should of been as one of the worlds best.

Yeah arguably, but the trophies speak for themselves mate.

 

[fortworthspur]

He’s not going to be remembered like that though, successful yes, but not like he should of been as one of the worlds best.

was never gonna happen at Real with the team built around Ronaldo.

 

[KILLA_SIN]

Yeah arguably, but the trophies speak for themselves mate.

Feels a bit meh to me.

 

[NickHSpurs]

Would be massively disappointed in him if he goes China, would be a huge waste of talent over there. He’s got at least 2/3 seasons left at the top level before a move like that.

 

[soflapaul]

This just doesn't add up. Money doesn't seem to be his greatest motivating factor. China can be a tough place to live no matter how wealthy you are and as i recall, he and his wife were homebodies. And he seems to be a challenge driven person, not easy street. I'm thinking yankspurs is dead on that RM accepted to bid and now the Chinese team is attempting to come to terms with the player. He is still holding all the cards so like others, i will believe it only when i see it and if that does come to pass, realize i misjudged who i thought he was as a player and a person. My money would still be on PSG but the Herc's comments certainly makes it sound like he is still in play. we probably can't get to where he would need us to be but it was fun while it lasted.....

 

[KILLA_SIN]

was never gonna happen at Real with the team built around Ronaldo.

That’s what I mean though he surely knew he would have always been in his shadow, maybe that really was a lack of ambition from the start.

 

[nikojev]

I guess the memes are true then; he's really fallen out of love with the game. He doesn't care about football anymore and doesn't feel the slightest desire to try to get back what he's lost.

Can't blame him though, he got his dream move and won the CL several times, yet things turned sour. Glad we won't be seeing him in a utd shirt atleast...

 

[Indisguise]

What I'd like to know is how on earth are Everton 33-1 to be his next club?

 

[BringBack_leGin]

From our point of view, footballers should play for love of playing and the money should be a happy bonus, and the truth is clearly the opposite. However, same as when Beckham went to LA and other similar examples, he’s going to go and experience a new culture steeped in history and see things which the majority of us here, myself included, never get the chance to. Throw in the unbelievable benefit to his children of spending part of their youth learning and growing in a very different part of the world, the fact that he’s achieved everything he could possibly want to achieve professionally, and yes, an enormous amount of money, and it becomes an opportunity that is too good to turn down.

My sister in law, Yorkshire born and raised, has two children, one born in Bosnia and the other in Hungary, who have lived between them in those two countries, Thailand and Vienna, they are 10 and 5 respectively and have learnt and absorbed more than any children of the same age I’ve seen in this country. Meanwhile my sister in law and her husband are seeing the world, making friends everywhere and continuing to have adventures now in their forties. This is on the salary of international school teachers, not elite world famous athletes.

We have purist expectations of how players conduct their careers, but ultimately they are people just like us who have infinite potential motivators just like us. Le Tissier was the hot shot who just preferred being the main man in an sme to being a cog in a large corporation. Alan Shearer achieved the pinnacle at a young age and then saw his career out somewhere he loved and cared about rather than hit the stratosphere somewhere glamourous. Phil Nevill, Nicky Butt and Solskjaer were far happier being business supporting at a huge organisation than main men at a start up. And maybe the players who go to China, India, Australia, USA etc at an age where they still have something to offer the top leagues are doing so because, having achieved a huge amount already, they want to experience life out there while they’re young enough to really enjoy it because when they were 18 they couldn’t go on a ‘gap yaar’ because they were to busy dedicating themselves to making it as top class professional footballers in the first place.

Or maybe it’s just the money, but you know what, these guys invest so much time, emotion and effort into getting to the top of their careers that they have every right to decide what career moves they should next make and it’s pretty arrogant to judge them for it. None of you would be thrilled about having your motives question of you took a high flying position with an overseas company,m I’d imagine.

 

[wrd]

Would be massively disappointed in him if he goes China, would be a huge waste of talent over there. He’s got at least 2/3 seasons left at the top level before a move like that.

Same he's my absolute favourite player to watch, the reason I've watched far more madrid football than I'd have wanted to, the reason I bothered travelling to Madrid to watch them play (**** was injured). I want to see the players I enjoy most at the pinnacle of the game even if it means we have to face him because players like him are few and far between and they are a joy to watch, It's a dam shame to see him go to China at this age when arguably he should be at his peak. It's absolutely his prerogative and his life but I'd still be disappointed.

 

[Indisguise]

I really don't think he's going to China but I'm always wrong when it comes to Bale.

 

[whitestreak]

MHO All this is noise Bale has a young family, needing schools etc

Could be wrong but I can't see him going to China, RM can't force him so what do they do if he says ....No?

Once you take "Take the China off the table"...you are left with Europe, and that is IMHO Us Bayern and PSG.

I reckon levy is in there somewhere with barnett sorting this for us....Its not like they dont know one another really well!

The rest could well be RMs media machine cranking up, trying to push the price up knowing they are about to be financially raped, for the 2nd time by Levy and Bale...

I could be wrong, but time will tell