With his time in the Spanish capital now having drawn to a close, it's fair to say that Gareth Bale will leave behind a difficult legacy at Real Madrid.
On the surface, he should go down as one of their all-time greats. He won three La Ligas and five Champions League titles during his time at the club, scoring in two of those European finals.
However, the latter half of his time in Madrid did not go smoothly. Bale suffered through a slew of injuries, while there was a sense in the Spanish media that he wasn't exactly putting in maximum effort. There were a number of accusations thrown around, including that he was more concerned about playing golf than his football career and that he was refusing to learn Spanish.
Perhaps the narrative will change in the years ahead, but for now the Welshman will move to LA as hardly the most beloved character in Real's history.
Gareth Bale trolls Spanish media during LAFC unveiling
Gareth Bale was paraded in front of the LAFC fans yesterday, joining the MLS club on an 18-month contract.
Unlike the Santiago Bernabeu in recent times, he was given quite the welcome by the supporters.
Gareth Bale has arrived in LA 🏴 pic.twitter.com/XA8fD6APoB
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 9, 2022
This is a big signing for LAFC. Playing for the first time in the MLS in 2018, they have struggled over the last couple of seasons. He will join the likes of Carlos Vela and Giorgio Chiellini in California, with the Italian also signing for them this summer.
It seems that Bale will use the coming months as an opportunity to get up to full speed ahead of the World Cup in Qatar, with Wales taking part in the tournament for the first time since 1958.
While that will be his only focus for now, he couldn't resist one last parting shot at the Madrid media.
Having long been criticised for his failure to learn the language, he delivered a message to the LAFC fans in pristine Spanish to signal his arrival at the club.
Nos vemos esta noche, @GarethBale11. 👊#LAFC pic.twitter.com/hbp1Mw1MWI
— LÁFC (@SomosLAFC) July 8, 2022
He knew exactly what he was doing here.
Bale watched his new team record a 3-2 victory over city rivals LA Galaxy last night, a result which extended their lead at the top of the MLS Western Conference.
With their new signing on board, they will fancy their chances of winning a first ever MLS Cup later this season.
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