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Sean Walsh

Gareth Bale reveals bankruptcy fears despite earning £600k-a-week at Real Madrid and boasting £120m net worth as Tottenham icon admits avoiding 'lavish lifestyle'

G. Bale
Real Madrid
Tottenham Hotspur
Wales
Premier League
LaLiga
Los Angeles FC
Major League Soccer
Southampton

Ex-Real Madrid star Gareth Bale has claimed he feared going bankrupt during his playing days, despite being handsomely paid throughout his glittering career. Bale won a staggering 20 major trophies as an electric winger and is widely considered to be one of Britain’s best-ever footballers, yet even he still had anxieties over the prospect of somehow blowing away all his money.

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Additionally, ExpressVPN's Basic plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers a 10MB/month private email relay plus 10 shared aliases.

There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save more than 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 80%.

Over 28 monthsSave 80%
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  • BMW PGA Championship 2025 - PreviewsGetty Images Sport

    Bale enjoying retirement after worries over income

    The Welshman, who is an avid golfer and can often be found out on a course, rarely spoke to the press candidly while still playing, but after retiring in 2023 he has given more of a glimpse behind the curtain at his personal life. In an interview with Front Office Sports, Bale opened up on how this one particular fear gripped him and how he managed to overcome it by looking to the future.

  • Wales legend wary of life after 'getting the pay cheque'

    Bale said: "There was one thing that always scared me inside. You read articles about when people finish professional sports, they go bankrupt. They don’t know how to manage their money, they don’t know how to do all these things.

    "A lot of, I imagine, athletes live a big lavish lifestyle. I try not to do that. I always had one eye on what life would be like after football. When I finish, I stop getting the pay cheque. How do people then restructure their lives?

    "So I was always trying to diversify from quite early on. I always had this pillar idea where I would try and invest my money in different things. If one pillar got chopped down and didn’t work, the whole building is not going to fall down."

  • Cardiff City FC v Luton Town FC - Sky Bet ChampionshipGetty Images Sport

    Bale considers adding Cardiff City to investment portfolio

    Bale has already made several investments, including owning two bars in the Welsh capital of Cardiff as well as holding stakes in a Welsh distillery and Tiger Woods’ TGL golf league. It was revealed earlier this year that a consortium featuring Bale were even looking to buy his boyhood club Cardiff City, but their interest was rejected by current owner Vincent Tan.

    Speaking on the possibility of purchasing the Bluebirds, Bale added: "I suggested about my home team. It’s one that’s been on the decline for a few years now and has such massive potential, being a one-city club. We are looking forward to the response, we would love to get ownership of it and take the club back to where we think it belongs."

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  • Bale's net worth and career earnings

    After a successful playing career which saw him spend nine seasons on the books at Real Madrid, Bale’s net worth is said to be in the region of £120 million ($160.3m), according to estimates from WalesOnline.

    Footballers’ wages aren’t usually public knowledge, and even when they are leaked they may or may not include various add-ons and bonuses. It has been reported by The Sun that Bale’s final Real Madrid contract, which was signed in 2016 and ran until 2022, was worth £150m ($200.4m) in total.

    Bale’s wages were said to have dropped to a base sum of around £30,000-a-week when he joined Major League Soccer side LAFC for his final season before hanging up his boots. He has recently spoken of the fond memories he made in the USA and wished he had made the move to MLS earlier, though recognised the massive pay-cut wasn’t ideal.

  • Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United - UEFA Europa League Final 2025Getty Images Sport

    Bale diving into punditry during retirement but coaching not on agenda

    Bale has also sparingly been hired as a television pundit post-retirement, most notably appearing on TNT Sport’s coverage of last season’s Europa League final between Manchester United and his former club Tottenham.

    There has been little to suggest Bale is looking to begin a new career in football management, while he has been able to spend more time with his wife, high-school sweetheart Emma Rhys-Jones, and their three children.