Gareth Bale huge net worth, family life, Rory McIlroy bond, golf journey and business ventures
Gareth Bale will be in the TNT Sports studio for the Champions League quarter-final between Liverpool and Real Madrid at Anfield
Liverpool's Champions League clash with Real Madrid at Anfield will see a familiar face in the punditry team. Tottenham legend Gareth Bale, who hung up his boots in January 2023, will be part of TNT Sports' coverage for the match.
The Welshman, who started his career at Southampton before moving to Spurs and then Real Madrid, has a rich history with this fixture. He was instrumental in Madrid's three consecutive Champions League victories, including a memorable win over Liverpool in the 2018 final where he scored two goals off the bench.
Since retiring from professional football, Bale has certainly been keeping busy with various activities and business ventures.
Family and early life
Bale was born in Cardiff on July 16, 1989 to parents Frank and Debbie. At the tender age of nine, he caught the eye of Southampton and in 2006, became the second-youngest player to feature for the Saints at 16 years and 275 days, just 132 days older than Theo Walcott.
Bale tied the knot with his childhood sweetheart Emma Rhys-Jones in 2019, and they have three children, two girls and one boy, all born before their wedding, with another son arriving in the summer of 2021.
He currently resides in Madrid and was recently honoured as a Member of the Order of the British Empire for his contributions to association football and charity.
Net worth and Business ventures
Despite announcing his retirement from football at the age of 34 after the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Bale's net worth remains impressively high, believed to be around £115.3million ($145m) as of August 2024. A significant factor behind this is likely due to some savvy decisions made during his playing career.
In May 2017, he partnered with Bains Brewery to open a bar named Elevens on Castle Street in Cardiff. Inspired by his passion for golf, he opened another establishment about two years ago, 'Par 59', located on St Mary's Street in the Welsh capital. A second branch has since been launched in Bristol, situated on Millennium Promenade.
The 35 year old star made a "significant investment" into Penderyn Distillery last November, taking on the role of minority shareholder. Around the same point in time, he also backed a new golf league, TGL, founded by sports icons Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, although its launch has been postponed until 2025.
Golf journey and McIlroy relationship
Delving into his passion for golf, it's evident that Bale is more than just a casual player; his business moves scream enthusiasm for the fairways. Despite many footballers swinging clubs occasionally during their sporting tenure, Bale ramped up his commitment post-retirement.
After participating in various amateur tournaments, he advanced to compete seriously in the golfing world, notably joining forces with Rory McIlroy at the inaugural DP World Tour Play-offs last September.
McIlroy has previously commended Bale's potential in golf, stating on the Stick to Football podcast earlier in the year: "I've played with Teddy Sheringham – good player. Gareth Bale – he has the potential to get to scratch [a handicap of zero], the way he hits the ball he could be a scratch player, but he's only played for the last few years."
"There is a difference between being able to hit the golf ball well and getting yourself around the golf course and managing your game – that's the part he's [Gareth Bale] learning now."
Despite his progress and participating in more competitions, Bale has kept the atmosphere light, as seen in an incident from October. At a celebrity Pro-Am event in Scotland, just after Bale executed an impressive chip shot, a dog dashed onto the green and nabbed his ball.
Fortunately for Bale, this didn't significantly affect his play; the ball was returned to its original position without any penalty given.