A year on from his surprise retirement announcement, Gareth Bale's new lifestyle and haircut are stealing the spotlight.
On January 9, 2023, the footballing superstar hung up his boots after a stunning 17-year career. As the captain of Wales, he played 111 games and scored 41 goals for his country.
Bale was instrumental in Wales' run in the Euro 2016, where they were eventually defeated by Portugal in the semi-finals. He also led his team in the 2022 Qatar World Cup, their first since 1968. His accomplishments for his country, and indeed his clubs, Southampton, Tottenham, Real Madrid and LAFC, make him without doubt one of the top sports heroes in Welsh history.
At the time of his retirement, Bale shared a heartfelt statement with his fans: "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 highest of highs over 17 seasons, that will be impossible to replicate, no matter what the next chapter has in store for me."
Bale wrapped up his illustrious football career with LAFC in MLS, playing 12 matches and scoring twice, including a decisive goal in the 128th minute to clinch the MLS Cup title.
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Just over a year later, we look at how one of Wales’ best-ever sportsmen has been enjoying his retirement and what he's been up to.
All the golf
We all know about the 34 year-old's passion for golf, and he's been making the most of his free time by participating in tournaments around the world.
Just a few weeks after retiring from football, he took part in a Pro-Am tournament at Pebble Beach. He teamed up with pro golfer Justin Rose and they finished in an impressive joint-16th place.
He also showed up at the Ryder Cup in September and added another trophy to his collection. He won the Ryder Cup All-Star match alongside tennis star Novak Djokovic and pro golfer Colin Montgomerie.
Bale partnered with Montgomerie in a seven-hole event and beat the team of pro Corey Pavin and ex-footballer Andriy Shevchenko 2-1.
Formula One driver Carlos Sainz also played in the game. After the match, Bale posted on Instagram : "privileged to play in the All Star match today at @therydercup. Incredible people, special day and a new trophy for the collection!"
Former Tottenham and Wales star Gareth Bale during the 2023 PGA Pro-Am (David Cannon/Getty Images)Business Ventures
If you've ever been to Cardiff, you might know about Elevens Bar. Bale opened it in May 2017 in partnership with Brains Brewery. The pub became fully independent in May 2021. It's a must-visit for sports fans, with lots of memorabilia and plenty of TVs.
The former Wales captain Gareth Bale has been busy since hanging up his boots. He opened Par 59, a cool spot that's part restaurant, bar, and mini-golf course. Cardiff got its own in March, and Bristol followed with another one in December.
Last year, they said the Cardiff place would get bigger with a new upstairs bar and games room called Shuffles opening in November 2023.
Bale's still a big name, too. He's been the face of Heineken's non-alcoholic beer and popped up in ads for PlayStation and BMW.
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Bale poses with Will Ferrell after his success with LAFCFamily Time... and a new trim
Now he's got more time, Bale's all about family. He has shared cute photos on Instagram with his wife and daughter, calling it "family time".
He used to be super busy with football, but now he's catching up on family fun. The Bales have jetted off to fancy beach resorts in Abu Dhabi, played tennis, and even had a magical Christmas trip to Lapland UK.
Gareth and Emma Rhys-Jones tied the knot back in 2019 on a secret Spanish island, with just 60 friends and family. It was so hush-hush that guests found out where it was only a day before and had to give their phones to tough security guys.
The couple, who have been together for over a decade, are parents to four children. Their first child, Alba Violet, was born in 2012, followed by Nava Valentina in 2016, Axel Charles in May 2018 and Xander Frank Bale, who arrived in July 2021.
Also, the former Tottenham star, appears to have had a haircut. His famous ponytail/top-knot style is now gone, replaced with a more trimmed look which he showed off in some Instagram posts from his family holiday over the new year.
Bale and wife Emma were married back in 2019 (Gareth Bale/Instagram)Living quarters
Bale splits his time between America, London and Wales, as well as various holiday destinations. He owns a £4million mansion in the Vale of Glamorgan, which was approved for expansion a few years ago.
The house boasts six bedrooms, a dressing room, study and a three-hole custom golf course in the garden. The mini-course features replicas of three of the most famous holes in the world - the 17th at Sawgrass , the 'postage stamp' 8th at Royal Troon and the 12th at the Augusta National.
Bale said: "I had a lovely bit of land here and it was something that I really wanted to do and I decided that I would love to make a dream come true and build a mini-golf course in my house,". He added: "I did my research online and I found Southwest Greens. I wanted to do a lot of low maintenance."
"We came up with a big concept of what I wanted to do. We loved the idea of it and went from a plain piece of land to building what we have now."
"It was a lot of hard work and a lot of craftsmanship. It's so much better than I ever thought it could be."
Will we ever see Gareth Bale back in football? (Getty Images)Return to football?
After announcing his retirement, Bale hinted at a possible return to football, saying he was "stepping down, not stepping away,"
Wales manager Rob Page believes that Bale, as the Welsh record appearance holder, could still contribute to the national team.
"When you've got someone of Bale's stature and what he's done for Wales, the impact he can have - even being in the changing room and the impact he can have on the players, then I've got to take advantage of that." Page said. "He's interested to do it in whatever capacity and that's a chat we will have privately about further down the line no doubt. I'm passionate about keeping him involved.
"He'll be absolutely interested and I think there may have been discussions before this about staying involved in some capacity."
Six months after his decision to retire, Wrexham co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney tried to convince the former Real Madrid man to change his mind and give the north Wales side "one more year". A playful exchange played out on social media between the parties before Bale's agent stopped the conversation in its tracks.
Jonathan Barnett told Sky Sports: "He's flattered by the offers, but they're all tongue-in-cheek. He's having a great life at the moment and [it is] well-deserved, he's been the best British footballer probably ever."
"He's now having a well-deserved rest. They [Reynolds and McElhenney] haven't actually spoken to me, they may have spoken to Gareth but Gareth doesn't want to play football anymore. He's had a great career and he's enjoyed himself, but he's having a great life now."
"He's with his family which is the most important thing. He's spending a lot of time with his children and that's what he wants to do."
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to webhomepage@mirror.co.uk
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