Gareth Bale rocks up at Big Sam's chippy for dinner – and even pops upstairs for a chat
Gareth Bale was spotted in a chip shop in his native Wales, and ended up going into the owner's home to meet the family and one massive fan in particular
Gareth Bale popped into a local chip shop for dinner and ended up making one fan's day by doing something truly heartwarming.
The former Real Madrid star, who hung up his boots in January 2023 after gracing the pitch at the Qatar World Cup, has been keeping busy with golf tournaments and family time since his retirement.
Despite having a pad in LA, Bale's been chilling back in Wales, where he owns a lush property in the Vale of Glamorgan. In a down-to-earth move that's got everyone talking, the footie ace, 34, rocked up to Big Sam's chippy in Pontyclun with his pals for some grub, WalesOnline reports.
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The chip shop couldn't resist sharing a snap of Bale with Big Sam's nephew and footie fanatic Raj Aulakh. The post gushed: "A Welsh institution visits another Welsh institution! Today at Big Sam's we had the absolute pleasure of serving this lovely gent."
It didn't stop there as the Welshman wasn't just snapping pics in the shop, he also nipped into the flat to grab a photo with Raj. The caption continued: "Not only was Gareth Bale kind enough to take pictures with some of us in the shop, but he also came into the flat to take a picture with Raj.
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"He couldn't have been a lovelier bloke and we hope to see him again soon #cymruambyth". Raj, 39, who battles Duchenne muscular dystrophy, spoke about how the ex-Tottenham Hotspur wizard was "genuinely interested" in having a chat with him. "My mum came in to me and my sister and said 'Gareth Bale is in the shop!'," he recounted.
"We were like - 'you're having a laugh'. Why would he be in Pontyclun of all places? My sister said 'it is actually him! It's either a very good lookalike, or it's actually him'. My brother went and had a picture with him.
He went back in and said 'do you mind popping into ours? ' (the family property above Big Sam's, where Raj lives). He said 'yes, of course, no problem'. He was actually genuinely interested.
"He seemed really nice. It wasn't very long, it was a few minutes, if that, maybe a couple of minutes but he seemed friendly." Raj playfully confessed that his mum didn't even recognise the football legend on the spot, treating him like any other punter.
The family hopes the footy star will drop by their takeaway again, promising less frenzy next time around.
Raj joked: "It's not like we're going to pounce on him every time he pops in! If he ever shows up again, we feel really bad, we all acted a bit dramatic because we were so excited!"
Big Sam's, a treasured local eatery, offers everything from fish and chips to kebabs and has been feeding locals for three decades.