GARETH BALE is set to terrorise Premier League defences again.
The Real Madrid forward is close to returning to his beloved Tottenham in a sensational £20million loan transfer, after the two clubs agreed a deal.
Gareth Bale is golf-obsessed and has his own golf course in his homeCredit: Instagram @garethbale11
Real Madrid star Bale is expected to join Spurs on loan, according to reportsCredit: Getty Images – Getty
And that will allow him to be closer to his Wales mansion, where the golf fanatic has a three-hole course custom-made in his garden.
The 31-year-old is leaving behind, though, an incredible life in Spain, where he has rented the home of Brazil legend Kaka during his time with the La Liga giants.
There, he’s filled the lavish property’s garage with some of the world’s most stunning motors, and lived with his gorgeous childhood sweetheart Emma Rhys-Jones and their brood.
If that’s not enough, with his whopping salary he bought his own bar in Cardiff – despite being completely teetotal.
And, trousering around £600k-per-week with Los Blancos, Bale certainly lives like a king.
HE’S GOLF-OBSESSED
Normally, footballers love to play golf AFTER they’ve hung up their boots.
But Bale just can’t get enough of the sport, spending most of his free time on the golf course working on his handicap – which is currently an impressive five.
As I moved here I had a lovely bit of land here and I had something I really wanted to do with it and decided that I would love to make a dream come true and build a mini golf course in my house.
Gareth Bale
In 2018, work was completed on building a three-hole golf course in his estate in Wales that amazingly features copies of real holes.
His chosen three holes were the the 12th at Augusta, Royal Troon’s Postage Stamp and the tricky par-three 17th at Sawgrass.
Bale’s love of golf earned him the nickname “The Golfer” from his Real Madrid teammatesCredit: Instagram @garethbale11
Incredibly, Bale plays off a handicap of fiveCredit: Instagram @garethbale11
Bale built a three-hole golf course at his Wales estate that has copies of real holes on the PGA TourCredit: Instagram @garethbale11
Bale, nicknamed “The Golfer” by his teammates, once revealed: “As I moved here I had a lovely bit of land here and I had something I really wanted to do with it and decided that I would love to make a dream come true and build a mini golf course in my house.”
When he’s back in Spain, Bale loves to take a holiday in Marbella at the five-star Finca Cortesin that not only boasts two outdoor pools and a private beach club with infinity pool, restaurant and bar, but also a stunning 18-hole golf course.
Rooms start at around £900-per-night during peak season, which is easy on the wallet for Bale.
NO HOLDS BAR-RED
In 2017, with cash to spend on investments that will last him for a life after football, Bale launched a bar.
Eleven’s Bar & Grill in Cardiff even has its on special ale named after the Wales star called ‘Bale’s Ale’.
“It’s been a dream of mine to open a sports bar in my home town of Cardiff,” Bale writes on the menu.
“Together with Brains (Brewery) we have created something very special and unique: a premium sports bar and grill in the heart of Cardiff.”
The standout food item on the menu is the Eleven’s Burger – that comes with smoked bacon, smashed avocado, Swiss cheese, tomato jam and chimichurri.
And even visitors in TripAdvisor have given their thumbs-up to the Eleven’s Bar & Grill experience.
Bale opened up his own bar in 2017 in CardiffCredit: Instagram @ElevensBarGrill
Teetotal Bale even has an ale named after him at his barCredit: Instagram @ElevensBarGrill
Punters on TripAdvisor have rated Elevens Bar Grill four and a half out of fiveCredit: Instagram @ElevensBarGrill
It’s scored four and a half out of five from 200-plus reviews, and is ranked 88th out of 890 restaurants the reviews site has listed in Cardiff.
HIS CHILDHOOD SWEETHEART
Gareth will likely be moving back to the UK with his childhood sweetheart, Emma Rhys-Jones.
The couple began dating in the early 2000s while attending Whitchurch High School.
They got engaged in July 2016 and Gareth announced the news on social media posting: “She said yes!! This is a birthday weekend I won’t forget for a long time…”
But their love has had its difficulties.
Emma and Gareth were due to get married in 2018, but an on-going feud with her family put plans on ice.
Her dad Martin, 54, was released from prison in 2019 after being imprisoned for fraud for six months in the US.
But Emma banned him from the wedding after he moved in with a florist half his age, Alina Baranova.
Other members of her family including her aunt Jane Burns, 55, have been embroiled in a violent drugs feud.
Bale has dated Emma Rhys-Jones since they met at schoolCredit: Instagram @garethbale11
Bale popped the question in 2016 and the pair reportedly married this summerCredit: Instagram @garethbale11
An on-going feud with Bale and Rhys-Jones’ family originally delayed their weddingCredit: PA:Empics Sport
But Bale and Emma secretly married in a hush-hush ceremony last year at a five-star hotel on a Majorcan island in front of just 60 guests, according to reports.
Guests were told of the location only 24-hours before the big day, and had to hand in their mobile phones to security guards.
The couple also have three children, daughters Alba and Nava, as well as a son called Axel.
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS
When he signed for Los Blancos, the one-time most expensive player in the world rented the home of Brazilian legend Kaka for a massive £10k-per-month.
Found in the exclusive Pozuelo de Alarcón part of La Finca, where a host of Real Madrid stars live, the 1,500 square metre property is built on two-storeys, and is valued at around £6.5m.
It boasts four bedrooms, an indoor pool, gym, two utility rooms, several terraces and porches, as well as a six-car garage.
Sometimes Bale, who prefers early nights to celeb bashes, ventures out to local hotspots.
Bale also owns a £4m Vale of Glamorgan converted farm house (the one with the golf course) in South Wales, where he loves to live the quiet life.
Bale rents a stunning £6.5m mansion in Madrid from KakaCredit: Solar Pix
Bales home is in the exclusive Pozuelo de Alarcón part of La Finca, Madrid where a host of Los Blancos stars liveCredit: Instagram @garethbale11
Private Bale also has a £4m home in South Wales that’s heavily guardedCredit: Instagram @garethbale11
Bale, posing with LL Cool J, likes his privacyCredit: Instagram @garethbale11
And it’s highly safe too – with Bale reportedly spending £500,000 on security officers, guard dogs and a surveillance system.
FAST CARS ARE A MUST
Whey you earn the pots of cash that Bale has over the years, you’ll be sure to get yourself a decent ride.
The wideman has been seen driving in fancy motors, including a £165k Mercedes SLS AMG, £156k Lamborghini Huracán and a £230k Ferrari GTC4Lusso.
But Wales manager Ryan Giggs has tried to get Bale to ditch his love of sports cars in the past by insisting that a roomier Range Rover might prevent muscle strains and injury.
And reportedly, Bale took note cancelling his Auto Vivendi membership that offers exclusive rentals of supercars to the footballing elite.
Gareth Bale lives the high life because of his £600k-per-week salaryCredit: Instagram @garethbale11
Bale also loves cars, driving a Lamborghini Huracan
A £160,000 Mercedes-AMG SLS sits in Bale’s car collectionCredit: Instagram @garethbale11
Ryan Giggs, Bales manager for Wales, told him to stop driving supercars because they’re not spacious enough and can cause injuryCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
