Gareth Bale: Real Madrid Reality, Turning Down United & Life With Ronaldo | Stick to Football 119

Welcome back to a huge episode of Stick to Football, brought to you by ARNE. Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Jill Scott, Roy Keane and Ian Wright are joined by former Southampton, Spurs, Real Madrid and Wales star Gareth Bale for a fascinating look back at his incredible career. We dive into the reality of playing for Real Madrid, the pressure that comes with the badge and what it was really like sharing a dressing room with Cristiano Ronaldo & Co. under Zinedine Zidane. And yes, the golf debate makes an appearance too. Bale also reflects on his rise to superstardom at Tottenham, revealing that a move to Manchester United was on the table not once, but twice. From Champions League glory to leading Wales on the international stage, he opens up on the highs, the scrutiny and life after football, including his spell in MLS and what keeps him busy now. Who is the greatest Welsh footballer of all time? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to like and subscribe so you never miss an episode of The Overlap. This episode is sponsored by Huel. Gary Neville and the Stick to Football team know - when your day’s full-on, you need fuel that’s fast and actually good for you. Huel is the ultimate meal on the go - high protein, packed with 26 essential vitamins & minerals, and ready in seconds. 🏆 Exclusive for The Overlap listeners: Get your first Huel with a special discount AND a free gift. That goes for all of their range, including Huel Lite! 👉 Claim Your Offer Now – and see why millions have made the switch. Go to https://huel.com/theoverlap This episode is sponsored by Heineken. Enjoy Heineken responsibly. For the facts about alcohol, visit https://wwww.bedrinkaware.co.uk This episode is sponsored by Sky Bet’s Super 6. Visit super6.skysports.com for your chance to win. Terms and conditions apply: https://super6.skysports.com/terms Stick to Football is brought to you by our partners ARNE clothing https://arneclo.com 00:00 Intro 09:37 Real Madrid Spotlight 26:02 Ronaldo’s Relentless Drive 38:33 Spurs Breakthrough and Career Choices 50:27 Spurs’ Current Troubles 54:51 United Links 57:31 Wales 01:13:31 Retirement and Life After 01:25:20 Quickfire Questions SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHANNEL HERE https://www.youtube.com/c/theoverlap?sub_confirmation=1 SUBSCRIBE TO THE OVERLAP BREAKDOWN CHANNEL HERE https://www.youtube.com/@TheOverlapBreakdown SUBSCRIBE TO THE OVERLAP NEWSLETTER https://substack.com/@theoverlapnewsletter SUBSCRIBE TO IT WAS WHAT IT WAS PATREON Join here ➡️ www.patreon.com/itwas SUBSCRIBE TO NOT JUST FOOTBALL www.youtube.com/@TheOverlapNotJustFootball?sub_confirmation=1 SUBSCRIBE TO STICK TO RUGBY HERE https://www.youtube.com/@TheOverlapRugby SUBSCRIBE TO THE STICK TO CRICKET CHANNEL HERE https://www.youtube.com/@TheOverlapCricket?sub_confirmation=1 FOLLOW STICK TO CRICKET ON SOCIAL 👇🏏 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sticktocricket/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577370443364 TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@sticktocricket X - https://x.com/StickToCricket LISTEN TO OUR PODCASTS Stick to Football - https://tr.ee/JI6l3Dj-4O The Overlap - https://tr.ee/h07F3Fsuh3 It Was What It Was - https://podfollow.com/1745066482 The Overlap US - https://podfollow.com/1769260064 The Breakdown Podcast - https://podfollow.com/1771490639 Not Just Football - https://podfollow.com/1772633121 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090262142896 Twitter: https://twitter.com/wearetheoverlap Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wearetheoverlap TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wearetheoverlap https://bsky.app/profile/wearetheoverlap.bsky.social ------------------------------------------------------------------------