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Exclusive: From that bicycle kick to playing with Sonny, Gareth Bale looks back on greatest hits

Published: 21 Sep. 2025, 15:17 Updated: 21 Sep. 2025, 20:23

PAIK JI-HWAN
[email protected]

Gareth Bale poses with an FC Spear scarf ahead of the Nexon Icons Match. [NEXON]

Fresh off the Nexon Icons Match, which pitted Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur legend Gareth Bale alongside and against some of the greatest football icons, the former Welsh star reflected on his glory days — marked by five Champions League titles and some of the most dramatic goals in history.

"It's one that I think as a kid, you always dream of scoring goals like this,” Bale said about his bicycle kick against Liverpool in the 2017-18 Champions League final during a video interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily and JoongAng Ilbo on Wednesday.

He also recalled the time he spent with former Spurs forward Son Heung-min during his loan spell at the London club in the 2020-21 season, after which he played two more years of football before hanging up his boots with Los Angeles FC (LAFC), where Son now plays.

The retired 36-year-old was back in action on Sept. 14 at the high-profile Icons Match — an exhibition football game that pits retired football legends such as Wayne Rooney, Iker Casillas and Eden Hazard against each other — showcasing his skills from his playing days in front of over 60,000 fans at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Mapo District, western Seoul.

Coming to Korea not only brought him back to the pitch, but also saw him enjoy his another beloved sport, golf, with Korean PGA star Im Sung-jae after the Icons Match.

Bale shared stories about what playing in the Icons Match was like, how he ended up playing golf with Im and his successful football career.

The following are excerpts from that interview, which have been edited for length and clarity.

Q. During the Icons Match, you had a really nice shot, which Iker Casillas ended up saving. How did you feel at that moment? It was you versus your old Real Madrid teammate.

A. It was good. I actually hadn't played football for... since I retired, so almost three years. So that was the first time having my boots back on. And that was the first shot I've taken since I retired. So it was a bit strange, but it was nice. It was nice to get back onto the football field to share the pitch with former players and players that I've played against in the past. I think to do it in Korea as well was a really nice touch, and everybody made me feel really welcome.

That solo goal you scored to win Real Madrid the Copa del Rey in the 2013-14 season is regarded as one of the most iconic goals in your career. How do you compare that goal to the bicycle kick you scored in the 2018 Champions League final against Liverpool? Which one was more meaningful to you personally?

Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale scores during the Champions League final against Liverpool at the NSC Olimpiyskiy stadium in Kiev, Ukraine on May 26, 2018. [EPA/YONHAP]

I think the final goal against Liverpool in the Champions League is my favorite. It's one that I think as a kid, you always dream of scoring goals like this, whether it's a bicycle kick or it's from the halfway line or something like this. It's always kind of a dream. And to be able to do it on the biggest stage in world football and to do it in a final and for it to be the goal that wins the game, was kind of a dream come true and something that I am able to always look back on now and always be in the history books. My son started playing football, so he's like, 'Daddy, that was really cool.' So it was an amazing goal to be able to have done it. Not to say that the other goal wasn't good, but my favorite was the bicycle kick, but it's good to have two different types of goals in finals, but both are good.

You, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema formed the lethal "BBC" trio of Bale-Benzema-Cristiano, while Barcelona had the Messi-Suarez-Neymar "MSN" trio. Both are regarded as two of the most formidable attacking trios football has ever seen. What was it like playing against them?

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo, front, celebrates with Gareth Bale during a La Liga match against Celta Vigo at Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, Spain on Dec. 6, 2014. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

I think it's amazing, right? To have arguably the six best players attacking-wise playing in the same league, playing against each other. Yeah, I think at the time, you don't really look at it like that. You kind of just want to beat the opposition. You know they're a good team. Looking back, to have those two trios in the same era of football and in the same league, competing for the same trophies was, I think, amazing. And obviously they had a great trio. We had a great trio. They won trophies. We won trophies. I think it's great for football at that time to have those two lots of attacking players.

You got to know Son Heung-min during your loan spell at Tottenham in the 2020-21 season. What was it like playing alongside him? Did you learn something from him, or did you teach him something while you were teammates?

Tottenham Hotspur's Gareth Bale, left, and Son Heung-min celebrate during a Europa League against Wolfsberger at the Puskas Arena stadium in Budapest, Hungary on Feb. 18, 2021. [EPA/YONHAP]

It was great to go back to Tottenham and to play with Sonny. Obviously, I watched him for many years whilst I was at Real Madrid. I always look for my former team, so I always used to watch Tottenham as much as I could. And yeah, to meet him, to play with him, was great. And we actually became very, very good friends. We tried to help each other. We spoke about football a lot. He would ask me a lot of questions as I'd been at a very high level and was a bit more experienced. We used to talk a lot about football when we played together. It was really fun. We're very similar players in terms of being very direct. We attack, we have good shots on goal. We had a great time together and it was great to see him continue to do so well after I left.

You mentioned in a YouTube video that Son Heung-min asked you for advice before joining LAFC. What did he ask you, and what advice did you give him? Many Korean fans hope Son will lead LAFC to a championship like you did.

Yes, it was more just about the club itself because obviously I'd been there. We have the same agents as well. So we kind of spoke through him as well, which was good. Just just to say what a good club it was, the MLS is a league that is growing and getting better. And obviously, they have the World Cup coming, so it's kind of a country that's really all football at the moment. Basically, it was just a little bit about that. I would love to see Sonny win another title with my former team as well. I was lucky enough to go there and to win the three trophies that were available — the Western Conference, the Shield and MLS Cup. It will be cool to see if he can do it. I think he started very well, but this season, he still has some time to go and hopefully they can do it.

Alongside your trophy-rich football career, your love of golf is also well known. Could you walk me through how you first learned the sport and how you balanced playing golf and football during your playing days?

Gareth Bale hits a shot during the BMW PGA Championship Pro-AM at Wentworth Golf Club in England on Sept. 18, 2024. [AP/YONHAP]

It actually started when I was at Tottenham. There was a group of players who were playing and then they asked if anyone wanted to play. So I said, 'Yes, I'd love to join.' It's a big thing in [Britain], where a lot of footballers, in between matches, go to play golf. I always found it a way to kind of get away from the pressure and the stress of football because you are constantly training, you're constantly playing and there is a lot of pressure to perform, to try and win trophies. And obviously, there are ups and downs. So it's always nice to have a place to go where you can get away from everything, spend some time with some friends and have a bit of fun. I think a big misconception is that I used to play [golf] a lot, but whilst I was playing [football], I would only play maybe once every two or three weeks if I had a day off or something like this. So I never used to play that much, but obviously now I'm retired, I play a little bit more.

I briefly heard that you played golf with Im Sung-jae after the Icons Match. How did you two meet in the first place, and what was it like playing golf with him?

With Nexon, we had kind of an activity to do, which was amazing to be able to play with him. He's an amazing player on the PGA Tour. So we were able to do some shooting with him. We only played on the golf simulator, but it was a really fun experience. He's an amazing person, a very nice guy. And his golf is absolutely amazing.

To go back to your playing days, when you played for Tottenham, Sonny was part of the so-called Welsh Mafia. In Korea, fans also called the partnership between you, Harry Kane and Son the “KBS Line,” an acronym of your surnames. Did you know about this nickname, and what did you think of it?

From left: Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane, Gareth Bale and Son Heung-min warm up before a Premier League match against Sheffield United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on May 2, 2021. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

I didn't know about this nickname, but I think when we played together, we actually scored a lot of goals. I think there's some sort of stat that we arguably scored, between the three of us, the most goals in the Premier League era in one season. So yeah, it was cool to play alongside those guys. I loved coming back to Tottenham to play for the club that I really love. And to play with Sonny and with Harry was amazing for that season.

In your first season [the 2013-14 season] at Real Madrid, you not only scored the winner in the Copa del Rey final, but also scored a crucial header against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League final, making your debut season truly successful. What was the key to adjusting so quickly to Real Madrid, where the fans have extremely high expectations?

Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale drives the ball during the Copa del Rey final against FC Barcelona at the Mestalla stadium in Valencia, Spain on April 16, 2014. [AP/YONHAP]

I think the key was just to be prepared to do whatever. I think one thing for me as a footballer, I know that if I feel comfortable on the football pitch, I will play well. Carlo Ancelotti was the manager at the time. We had an assistant manager who was English, Paul Clement. They were able to make me very settled very quickly on the pitch. I feel like that was a real big key in why I was so successful in the first year, because I just felt really settled. I understood everything. They explained everything really well. So this was probably the main reason why, in terms of on the pitch, I performed so well.

During your time at Real Madrid, you won every possible trophy, including five Champions League titles. Out of all those great moments with the club, what would you say was the most memorable and meaningful one?

Real Madrid celebrate winning the 2013-14 Champions League at Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal on May 24, 2014. [JOONGANG ILBO]

I would probably say the first Champions League final [in 2014], just because obviously it's a big dream of any footballer to be able to win the Champions League. So to actually do it, especially in my first season, and also you don't understand what's going to happen next, lifting the trophy, how it's going to feel. Not to say the others weren't great, but just because, then, once you've won it once, you kind of understand the process of what you need to do and what's to come. So I think just because the first one was the unknown, it was great to experience — all those kinds of moments after as well as lifting the trophy.

You were in Bilbao when Tottenham won the Europa League. How did it feel to see Son Heung-min lift his first trophy after 10 years at the club?

Amazing. Obviously, I was supporting Tottenham the whole way through and to be able to have Sonny, I guess maybe it was his last match in the end, to be able to go out like this — to win a trophy for Tottenham — where he's been for such a long time. Scored so many goals, played so many important matches. It was really amazing to be able to see him lift a trophy finally, and be the captain and the one to actually lift the trophy. So I was very happy for him. It was amazing, amazing just to see him. And I obviously saw him after the match and had a photo and everything. So yeah, it was an amazing day.

You had an incredibly successful career in football, but what was your work-life balance like during those years?

It was always good. I always felt like my family was amazing. I always kind of kept football and family apart. My wife was very supportive in everything that I did and was there for me when I had the ups and the downs and stuff like that. It was very easy to keep them separate because we had such a strong family bond at home and we never really spoke much about football at home to keep it separate. It was important to keep your job and your family life separate so you can kind of enjoy both of them in a different way. I think I always had a very good balance.

Now that you have finished your football career, what goals do you hope to achieve in retirement?

I think the main thing for me is that I still have a very young family. My career is now finished and I'm very happy with what I achieved. And now it's about spending time with my kids, with my wife, watching my kids grow up. My son is now playing football. My daughters are doing other sports. So when you're playing, you're constantly traveling, you're constantly missing out on a lot of things to do with family. I feel like now it's my time to be able to enjoy and spend time with my wife and my kids, and watch them grow and be there for them to watch them play in their football match, watch them go in their gymnastics. I'm just looking forward to just being able to watch them grow and really enjoy spending time with them.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [[email protected]]