Why this is a massive season for Gareth Bale at Real Madrid

When Gareth Bale left Tottenham to join Real Madrid in a deal worth £85 million in 2013, he became the most expensive player in football history, eclipsing the amount Los Blancos paid for Cristiano Ronaldo four years previously. However, five years on, he may finally be about to become the key man at the Bernabeu.

There was no doubting Bale’s ability when he made the move to Spain. In his final season in the Premier League, he scored an impressive 21 goals in 33 games, and was named the PFA Player of the Year.

Things haven’t always come easy for Bale in Madrid though. He has spent five seasons with Real now, but because of constant injury problems, he has been limited to just 126 La Liga appearances.

He has had his moments though. In the 2013/14 Copa del Rey final, he scored a quite brilliant goal, outpacing Marc Bartra despite being forced off the pitch, before finding the net. His finest moments though have come in the Champions League. In the 2013/14 final, he scored a crucial goal in extra time as they beat Atletico Madrid 4-1.

In this year’s final, he went one better, scoring a quite sensational overhead kick after coming off the bench to give Real the lead. He secured victory late on, benefiting from a shocking error by Loris Karius in the Liverpool goal.

His toughest challenge in a Real Madrid shirt may be just about to start though. In recent years, he has played second fiddle to Cristiano Ronaldo, who has been one of the best players in the world for a number of years.

However, Ronaldo has now moved on, leaving Madrid to join Juventus for a fee of £99 million. The Portuguese superstar leaves a massive hole in this Real squad, and it will be a massive task looking to fill that gap.

There were rumours that Bale would leave the club this summer in search of regular first-team football, but the changes at Real this summer seem to have solved that. Ronaldo’s departure means there is a spot for Bale in the team, while new manager Julen Lopetegui appears to have promised the Welshman more chances in the side following Zinedine Zidane’s shock resignation.

He is now staying at the Bernabeu, but that means all the pressure will be on him this season. Real no longer have Ronaldo to rely on if they need someone to pop up with a goal, and it will be Bale they trust to come up with the goods.

He must be able to stay fit for a full season, because he is now the go-to man in this Real team. There are some very talented young players in this squad, with the likes of Marco Asensio and Vinicius Jr, but Bale has the experience to know what is required at this level, and he must be a leader for the young players.

It is a massive task for Bale and Real Madrid to maintain that level of success now Ronaldo has left, but it is something they have to do.