Gareth Bale is one of the greatest wingers football has seen in the past 20 years. One of Wales' finest players of all time, the dynamic winger forged an extremely successful career for himself at Spanish club Real Madrid.
After coming through the ranks at Southampton as an energetic left-back, Bale evolved into one of the most feared wide players on the planet during his time with Tottenham. The pacey winger tore iconic defenders such as Maicon apart with his explosive burst of speed and relentless attitude.
However, despite going on to face some of the biggest names in world football during his time with Los Blancos, it was a Premier League opponent that Bale named as his toughest ever. Former Manchester City right-back, Micah Richards was the man singled out by the Welshman when The Times asked who the hardest right-back he ever faced was. Bale replied:
"The hardest right-back I played against was Micah Richards. I was a bit quicker, but he was an athlete, so strong and holding. I’d knock it round him but he just [leans across and] goes ‘no!’"
While that was only a question about right-backs specifically, Richards' status as Bale's toughest rival was cemented on an episode of 'A League of Their Own'. Jamie Redknapp revealed that Bale had told him Richards was the hardest player he ever faced during a game of golf. To which, the retired full-back gave a hilarious reaction, asking Redknapp and Bale to recreate the moment from the golf course.
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Obliging to the demands, Redknapp turned to the former Real Madrid star and asked: "Just out of interest, who was the toughest opponent you ever played against?" Bale quickly responded: "It was Micah Richards."
As the defender-turned-pundit celebrated the plaudits he was receiving from one of the best wingers of his generation, Redknapp quickly asked for confirmation: "Do you mean that?" Richards' face immediately dropped as Bale responded: "No, I was joking," before reassuring him: "No, no. You were, you were." View the moment below (From the start of the video):
The Feeling Was Mutual
Richards named Bale his toughest opponent
Micah Richards vs Gareth Bale
Speaking to Optus Sport, Richards returned the favour by saying Bale was the most daunting opponent he ever faced: "Gareth Bale was my toughest opponent. Because I always liked the one-on-one battle, I always thought I would, if I’m not as quick as them then I’m as strong as them and I’d just get my body in early doors, but Bale was relentless."
Both men were well-known for their superior physical attributes, but Richards admitted: "He was a freak of nature."
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