Gareth Bale has only made one start for Real Madrid since August 2021When Real Madrid face Liverpool in Saturday’s Champions League final, one potential match-winner will be conspicuous by his expected absence from the pitch.Gareth Bale – the two-goal hero when the teams met in 2018’s final – has become a forgotten man, making only seven Real appearances all season and starting just one game in club colours since August.Manager Carlo Ancelotti has declared Bale, 32, fit for the final after a back problem, but he has only played 22 minutes for the team since February and is extremely unlikely to feature.With his contract at the Bernabeu expiring next month, his nine-year spell in Spain is limping to the quietest of endings, and it is fair to suggest his departure will come as a great relief to all parties.For a player who has scored 106 goals and won 15 trophies in Spain to become arguably British football’s greatest ever export, it is a terribly sad way to finish – and even more of a shame because it all started so well. When Bale was signed by Real for 100m euros from Tottenham in 2013, he immediately became a key component of a breathtakingly exciting forward line alongside Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo.Bale was quickly embraced by Real fans – especially… Click below to read the full story from BBC Sport
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Liverpool v Real Madrid: How Gareth Bale has gone from hero to forgotten man
