Gareth Bale had "mountain" pre-match meal that fuelled Real Madrid and Wales ace

23 January 2024 , 11:51

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Gareth Bale's diet helped make him a true athlete (Image: Real Madrid via Getty Images)

We've all seen Gareth Bale go from scrawny teenage defender to ripped Champions League -winning forward, but lesser-known is how exactly it happened.

Plenty of hours in the gym? Sure. But one of Bale's former team-mates may've just revealed the secret behind his incredible rise which took him from Tottenham prodigy to Real Madrid megastar. Jermaine Jenas, who spent six years playing alongside Bale at Spurs, has lifted the lid - or opened the tin - on the Welshman's "mountain" of a pre-match meal: toast and beans.

Ex- England international Jenas was commentating on Brighton 's 0-0 draw with Wolves on Monday and TNT Sports colleague Adam Summerton noted how Brighton star Pascal Gross likes to have rice, chicken and olive oil, and then some Weetabix before a game.

That prompted Jenas to recall Bale's signature pre-match scran, saying: "The only meal I remember looking at and thinking why and how was Gareth Bale. He used to have like five slices of toast and a mountain of baked beans. I tried it once, it didn't go well for me."

It isn't just toast and beans that Bale loves to eat, as he's also self-confessed "chocoholic" and enjoyed a nibble during his playing days. As for his favourite meal altogether, the former Premier League ace loves egg and chips, while he also owns a restaurant in Cardiff called Elevens, named after his favourite shirt number.

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Beans certainly got the best out of Bale, as his outstanding 2012-13 campaign for Tottenham convinced Real Madrid to pay a world-record transfer fee worth £85million to bring him to the Santiago Bernabeu. The future Wales captain would go on to win an incredible five Champions Leagues, three La Liga titles and three Club World Cups alongside a hoard of other team honours.

Bale, 34, is now happily retired, having called time on his football career almost a year ago to the day. His decision came following a brief spell with MLS side Los Angeles FC and after Wales' disappointing World Cup campaign in Qatar.

Jermaine Jenas and Gareth Bale played together at Tottenham (Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Your turn! Is Gareth Bale the best British player of all-time? Join the debate in the comments section.

Bale is now enjoying more time with his family - and on the golf course, obviously. The Cardiff-born icon said when announcing his retirement: "I move on with anticipation to the next stage of my life. A time of change and transition, an opportunity for a new adventure..."

Nathan Ridley