Gareth Bale: Former Wales, Tottenham and Real Madrid star Bale reveals the secret injury that ended his career

Bale’s move to Real Madrid in 2013 broke football transfer records, and he says the Spanish giants were aware of the issue.

He described the problem as “manageable” but said it was related to his time in La Liga where he played a key role in the club’s return to European dominance.

He claims he was forced to brush his teeth while standing on his heels due to the risk of injuring his leg.

“I never knew when it was going to come, and obviously people were like, ‘Oh, he’s not taking care of himself,'” he said. [but] I would literally make sure my calves and soles are bulletproof.

“But again, if things fail and it’s over, there’s nothing I can do about it. I’ll get an injection in my back to calm everything down.”

Arguably Wales’ greatest footballer, Bale broke records for appearances and goals for the men’s national team after making his debut as a 16-year-old.

He was a talisman as Wales reached the semi-finals of Euro 2016 and also helped them reach the last 16 of Euro 2020 before scoring the goal against Ukraine that booked a place in the country’s first World Cup in 64 years.

Bale, who retired after 111 matches and 41 goals, said: “I’ve always reached a point that I think a lot of people do in their careers, ‘Do you keep going for any reason? What else do I want to achieve?'”

“I felt like I achieved everything I wanted to achieve. The last thing I did was qualify for the World Cup, which was the only thing on my list.

“I felt like it was the right time. I might have been ready a few years ago, but it caught my attention.”

Bale also said family illness was a factor in the retirement, and added that he thought about his post-retirement plans for several years before announcing in January 2023 that he would retire from playing.

This has included interest in ownership of the club, with Bale forming part of a consortium that expressed an interest in buying Cardiff City last summer.

Cardiff have not seriously considered the proposal, which Bell admits “has not materialized” but says ownership remains an aspiration.

However, he added: “I always said when I retired, I wanted one, two or three years just to decompress and enjoy the kids and then try to find some paths that I wanted to do.”

“Something like that interests me more than… getting into coaching. I feel like I did that as a player and you should put in more hours as a coach and a manager.”