15 September 2023 , 16:18
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Gareth Bale ended his club career in style as he earned silverware with Los Angeles FC and it appears that the experience left a lasting impression on the Welshman.
The legendary former winger secured his legacy as one of his generation's greatest players during a glittering trophy-laden spell at Real Madrid. He would eventually hang up his boots after starring for Wales at the World Cup in Qatar after ending his club days with the MLS Cup.
Continuing his knack for scoring in finals, the veteran superstar notched a dramatic injury-time equaliser in the showpiece versus Philadelphia Union. By making it 3-3 in the 128th minute, his timely header sent the final to a penalty shootout, which LAFC eventually won.
Having arrived in the US after only five league appearances in his final season in Madrid, he scored three times in 13 appearances for LAFC. Now, the 34-year-old has reflected on his whirlwind six month stint as a player in California.
Speaking to Uproxx, he explained how he felt he had a point to prove upon his arrival in MLS, saying: "I felt like I still had something to give, otherwise, I wouldn’t have come over. I wouldn’t have come over just to see my career out."
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With LAFC picking up the MLS Cup for the first time in the club's history alongside the Supporters' Shield, his decision to move to the US now looks inspired. Going into more details about his successful short spell, he asserted: "I wanted to come over, I wanted to win a trophy, I wanted to do as much as I could for LAFC.
"I was fortunate enough to play a few games and score some really important goals and win some great titles. Yeah, obviously win LAFC’s first MLS Cup will always be special to me, be special to them. And I guess we can always have each other to look back on in history books now, which is such a cool thing to have."
Gareth Bale has made no secret of how much he loved his time in the US with LAFC (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP/REX/Shutterstock)His comments echoed the sentiments of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who spoke in glowing terms about his stint in the US previously. The former Swedish international turned out for LAFC's neighbours, the LA Galaxy, during his time in MLS and it is clear that he also looks back on the period fondly.
On the ESPN's Gab & Juls Show, he explained that his spell in the US helped him to recover both physically and mentally following a horrific knee injury sustained at Manchester United. He stated: "I'm very happy. I'm very thankful for MLS because they gave me the chance to feel alive.
"I think [playing in MLS] was the best way for me to come back after my injury. I was in the best condition ever. And I'm very proud I played for the MLS, because they were saying to me the stadiums are pretty empty when you play in that.
The iconic marksman added: "There was no empty stadiums when I was playing. It was even overbooked, so I cannot complain, and I'm very happy I was there."