Gareth Bale joins the exalted company of Ferenc Puskas and Raul... the Cardiff boy is already a Real Madrid legend

Last August Gareth Bale was in Cardiff on international duty, dodging Spanish journalists on his way to meet up with his Wales team-mates, and still uncertain of his £86million transfer to Real Madrid.

One year on, he will be back in Cardiff to play in the European Super Cup for Real against Sevilla and he will do so with 22 goals, the Spanish Cup and the Champions League. It’s hard to recall a record signing who has had a greater impact in his first year.

Bale is only the third player in Real Madrid’s history to score in the final of both the European Cup and the Spanish Cup in the same season. Only Ferenc Puskas and Raul have done it before.

Legend: Gareth Bale was instrumental in landing Real Madrid their much-wanted tenth European Cup

La Decima: The Bernabeu was full of supporters as the club paraded their newly won trophy through Madrid

THE YEAR THAT WAS

Sept 1, 2013: Signs for Real Madrid for a world record £86million.
Sept 14: Scores on debut in 2-2 draw against Villarreal.
Oct 30: Scores two in 7-3 victory against Sevilla. Dubbed Cañonito — little cannon — by local media.
Nov 30: A perfect hat-trick — header and goal with each foot — in 4-0 win over Real Valladolid.
April 16, 2014: Brilliant solo effort in victory over Barcelona in Copa del Rey final is his 20th of the season.
May 24: His goal sets up Real’s 10th European Cup triumph.

No wonder Spanish sports daily Marca claimed: ‘He has turned out to be a bargain; he is already a Real Madrid legend’ and Diario AS added: ‘Bale’s was the winner; it was game over after that.’

Bale has already outdone all previous Brits abroad. Laurie Cunningham played in the 1981 European Cup final that Real Madrid lost to Liverpool and Steve McManaman was a goalscoring, man-of-the-match, winner in 2000 when Real Madrid beat Valencia 3-0.

David Beckham managed just one Champions League quarter-final appearance in his four years at Real Madrid.

Paul Lambert and Owen Hargreaves both won European Cups with foreign clubs and Kevin Keegan won European Footballer of the Year at Hamburg but never the European Cup with them.

Bale has often also outshone the man he came to aid and abet last summer, Cristiano Ronaldo. He has delivered more than the Portuguese in the finals, although he was at pains to point out both halves of the dynamic duo have taken Real Madrid to glory this season.

Big moment: This header earned Bale infamy in Real Madrid's long history

Inside the Estadio da Luz with his medal around his neck, before the players were whisked back to Lisbon airport for their 6am date at Madrid’s Cibeles fountain, he said: ‘We work well together and we enjoy playing alongside each other. Whoever scores we are all happy as long as we are winning.’

The 24-year-old’s favourite post-match phrase is ‘It’s a dream come true’ and when he was a teenage fan of the Spanish side he will have imagined such heroics as only a wide-eyed wannabe can.

‘The reason I joined Real Madrid was to play in these amazing matches. It’s hard to describe how I felt when the ball went in. It was an incredible feeling seeing all the fans behind that goal and all the players run towards me to celebrate.’

Upstaged: Bale outshone the best player in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo

Even Zinedine Zidane had joined in as the player he pushed the club to sign last summer delivered one of the most famous goals in their history.

‘When we got the equaliser it seemed that we had the momentum going into extra time. We looked fresher than them. They had a few players who had cramp and we showed what physical condition we were in,’ said Bale.

Stories about Bale needing an operation this summer to cure a hernia were rubbished by his agent and there looked very little wrong as he leapt to head home after Thibaut Courtois had only managed to deflect a shot from Angel di Maria.

Best ever: Bale has now proven himself as Britain's best ever footballing export

There had been tension earlier in the season, with the Argentine unhappy at being usurped by the new signing from Tottenham, especially as he was playing well.

But problem solver Carlo Ancelotti made room for both and Bale’s team-mates have been completely won over by the shy boy from Cardiff, who will be going home this August having established himself as Britain’s best ever footballing export.