By CIARAN FOREMAN, SPORTS REPORTER
Published: 11:03 EST, 9 December 2025 | Updated: 11:16 EST, 9 December 2025
Gareth Bale has revealed the family health reasons which played a part in his retirement from football aged just 33.
The Wales legend, who is his nation's most-capped player of all time and record goalscorer, stunned the footballing world when he announced that he would be hanging up his boots in January 2023.
His decision came in the immediate aftermath of Wales crashing out of the Qatar World Cup in 2022, after finishing rock bottom of a group which contained England, USA and Iran.
'I feel incredibly fortunate to have realised my dream of playing the sport I love. It has truly given me some of the best moments of my life,' the former Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid star said at the time.
Playing across the pond for Los Angeles FC, Bale ended a glittering career with his side winning their first MLS Cup - the final winners medal to be added to his collection alongside five Champions League titles and many, many others.
And now, speaking for the first time about why he thought it was the perfect time to call it a day, the once-world's most expensive footballer told how his father Frank becoming sick meant he had to switch his focus off the pitch.
Gareth Bale has lifted the lid on the family health reasons which played a part in his retirement
The Wales legend, now 36, announced that he would be hanging up his boots in January 2023
'My dad got ill and that played a massive role in my decision,' Bale told GQ Magazine. 'People don't know what anyone's going through at home but I soon realised there's more to life than just football.'
Bale also admitted that there are things he wishes 'had gone differently' during his career, such as his ultimate dream of leading Wales to a World Cup trophy.
But reflecting on his career, he said he would 'never have believed' the success that 'kid from Cardiff who comes from a normal family' would go on to achieve.
'I achieved so much in my career so playing in a World Cup was pretty much the last thing that I wanted to achieve,' Bale continued.
'It didn’t go amazingly well for us, but it was the first time in 64 years. After that, I didn't feel like I had anything else left to achieve, goal-wise.'
In a wide-ranging interview, conducted on a golf course, Bale also discussed the end to his career in Madrid and the supposed misconception about how much time he spent on the green.
The now-36-year-old, who was signed by the Spanish giants for a then-record fee of around £80million in 2013, came in for criticism by the press about what they felt to be his lack of commitment to the team.
Bale once held aloft a flag which read 'Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order,' after his nation qualified for Euro 2020.
Bale was signed by Real Madrid for what was, at the time, a world record fee of £80million
He went on to face a lot of criticism by the Spanish press about how often he would play golf
However, the former now claims that he 'never used to play golf that much' and would only pick up his clubs 'once every two to three weeks' - and always 'on a day off'.
His relationship with the Spanish press, though, went on to sour over the years and Bale admitted that some of their judgements of his performances did have an affect on him.
He also denied any suggestions that his relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo was fractured during his time at the Bernabeu, a narrative which had been widely reported at the time.
The eventual relationship breakdown at Madrid, however, saw him make an emotional loan return to Tottenham during the 2020-21 season, but no fans could attend to see their former hero play again due to the COVID pandemic leaving stadiums empty.
No permanent move back to Spurs, where he was twice named footballer of the year, materialised, and he made the switch to the MLS where he played out his final days as a footballer.
Bale is widely regarded as Wales' best ever player, and almost led them to the brink of greatness during Euro 2016, where they were beaten by eventual winners Portugal in the semi-final.
He scored 40 goals in 111 international appearances for his national team. Across all of his clubs - including Southampton, where he started out - Bale bagged an astonishing 185 goals and 133 assists in 554 games.
Bale is now set for more front-facing roles in the media, despite being a more reserved figure during his playing career, having been signed by TNT Sports as a contributor, as well as CBS Sports Golazo in a freelance capacity.