Gareth Bale and the quest to succeed Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid

J Omkar
Ronaldo and Bale goal celebration
Former teammates, now continental rivals

After a glorious 9 year spell at Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo left the capital club for the Italian champions Juventus. Arguably the greatest footballer on the planet, he could have stayed on in Madrid and continued to dominate the footballing world as he has done in the last few years, but he decided instead to seek a fresh challenge in a new team and country.

Having dominated Europe for more than a decade, winning five Ballon d'Ors in the process, Cristiano has created a void that many players will be wishing to fill at Real Madrid. Can Gareth Bale be the man for the task?

After a world record signing back in 2013, Bale has shown sheer class in his displays, but has stayed in the shadows of his former teammate. He is a player many managers would want on their team.

After the departure of Ronaldo, Madrid will look to have a match winner on their roster who can step up to show them the way to success, just like the great Portuguese.

One of the fastest footballers on the planet, the Welshman has shown repeatedly that he can be someone who could be trusted to win trophies - he demonstrated this most recently in the Champions League final in Kiev, with an incredible overhead kick that stunned the world. He has shown that even in the absence of his former attacking teammate, he is able to take Los Blancos to the next level.

Real Madrid Celebrate After Victory In The Champions League Final Against Liverpool
Gareth Bale - the one?

During an injury ridden season, he was not greatly appreciated by arguably the greatest manager in the club history. With not many games in the starting lineup, he was more of a super sub than a regular team player.

With many players vying for the same position, the competition was really high, coupled with his injuries. But he stepped up every time the team needed someone to lead from the front. He is also the second greatest player in the history of Wales after Ryan Giggs. He single-handedly took Wales to the semi finals of Euro 2016. Could he do something similar for Real Madrid?

The exceptional free kick taker was not given the chance to convert set pieces, because a greater player was already on the team, with his former teammate gone he certainly can be the central figure for Los Blancos.

Real Madrid Celebrate After Victory In The Champions League Final Against Liverpool
Cristiano - a tough act to follow

The loss of two heavyweights - 3 time UCL winning coach Zidane, and 5 time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano, is certainly going to be felt by the capital club. But as history indicates, many greats have come and gone, but the club has continued to thrive.

The club is bigger than any individual. With all eyes on Madrid, devoid of their superstar coach as well as their superstar player - could Bale be the pivot holding the team together?

Gareth Bale is a great player, and he certainly is a match winner. Could these qualities make him another legend, or will he be leaving the Spanish capital due to the lack of minutes on the pitch like many others before him? Only time will tell. But one thing is for sure, he has the ability to rule the footballing world.

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Edited by Anthony Akatugba Jr.