Cristiano
Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the two best players in world football, but
Gareth Bale is the heir to the throne. There is no doubt he can be the
best player on the planet in five years’ time.
What
Bale has achieved in his first season at Real Madrid is nothing short
of sensational. To go to a new club, a new country and an entirely new
culture and perform as he has done is remarkable.
He
was not at his best on Saturday night but big players change games and
that’s exactly what he’s done. He scored a wonder goal to win the Copa
del Rey last month and made the crucial breakthrough in extra time in
the Champions League.
The heir: Real Madrid star Gareth Bale will become the best player in the world in five years' time
He
wasted some good chances in Lisbon but if you want an indicator of the
impact he had, just look at Filipe Luis. The Atletico Madrid left back
has been excellent but he won’t have run as hard all season.
By
the end of the game he was on the floor with cramp. That’s what happens
when you spend your evening chasing Gareth Bale’s shadow.
Explosive
pace has always been Bale’s primary weapon, but now he is the complete
player. His raw speed makes him so hard to defend against but it’s his
technique at high speed that now sets him apart.
BALE vs RONALDO: TALE OF THE TAPE
GARETH BALE |
| CRISTIANO RONALDO |
24 | Age | 29 |
Cardiff, Wales | Born | Funchal, Madeira |
6ft 0in | Height | 6ft 1in |
11 | Shirt Number | 7 |
Southampton, Tottenham | Previous clubs | Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United |
292 | Career club appearances | 569 |
82 | Career goals | 375 |
44 | International Caps | 110 |
12 | International Goals | 49 |
£86m (2013) | Transfer fee | £80m (2009) |
£35m | Worth | c. £120m |
Adidas, EA Sports, Lucozade | Endorsements | Nike,
Coca-Cola, Emirates, Castrol, Konami, Emporio Armani, KFC, Tag Heuer,
Banco Espirito Santo, Motorola, Herbal Life, Jacob & Co. |
Emma Rhys-Jones, childhood sweetheart | WAG | Irina Shayk, Russian model |
One daughter, Alba Violet b. 2012 | Kids | One son, Cristiano b. 2010 |
Match winner: Bale is now the complete power, with excellent technique along with explosive pace
Chasing shadows: Filipe Luis is an excellent defender but he was run ragged by the Welshman
He
can play anywhere across the front, score with his left or right foot
and with his head. He has a fantastic leap and he showed it by being in
the right place at the right time to score against Atletico.
The frightening thing is he is still learning the game. Playing alongside and studying Ronaldo, he can only get better.
Bale
is so strong in the air but imagine if he attacked crosses with the
same aggression as Ronaldo — he could be impossible to stop.
I
remember seeing him play in the Southampton youth team when I was at
the club. Most of the talk then was about a young Theo Walcott, but
there was also a dark-haired kid who was a pretty handy left back.
Passive: Bale is good in the air but he needs to be more aggressive when he attacks the ball
Flourished: Bale has come a long way since his time as a left back for Southampton
He was very shy but once he came out of his shell it did not take long to realise you were in the presence of somebody special.
It
was the same at Tottenham when he started to play further forward and
was shredding defences for fun. That shy young left back has
transformed into quite a man.
Bale
now has the world at his feet but he remains that rarest of things: a
humble superstar. I’m sure if he wanted to whip his shirt off and
celebrate Ronaldo-style he’d look just as good, but that’s not how he
is.
He is just a lovely kid and is the exception to those who say you need a mean streak to succeed in football.
When
you watch him play, you can still see the wonder in his eyes as if he’s
thinking: ‘Blimey, I’m playing for Real Madrid.’ That is every football
fan’s dream but he’s not just playing for Madrid, he’s starring for
them.
Humble superstar: Bale has now been instrumental in Real Madrid winning two trophies in his debut season
When
he made the move last summer, I was full of admiration. Playing for a
club like Real is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but it takes a lot
of courage to move abroad and plenty have failed in the past. Bale’s
debut season has been like a fairytale.
Ronaldo
was 24 when he moved to Madrid and he scored 33 goals in his opening
season, 11 more than Bale. But there is one big difference between the
two: Ronaldo won nothing whereas Bale has two trophies to his name.
Expectations at Real Madrid are always sky-high, but that is some way to
announce yourself.
It’s
just a shame we are unlikely to see Bale play at his peak in a World
Cup because, make no mistake, he has everything needed to become the
best player in the world.