Gareth Bale

Location: Madrid, Spain

The Welsh wizard has been prone to many injuries during his brilliant career, so-much-so that the rehabilitation chamber is thought of as his second home! (Image: Instagram)

Born in Cardiff Wales, he graduated from the fabled Southampton FC academy, before becoming the second-youngest to make his debut for The Saints, at 16 years and 275 days, in a 2-0 victory over Millwall on 17 April 2006. The youngster started off as a left-sided full-back, garnering attention for his searing pace and the ability to strike on dead-ball situations. After impressive showings in the EFL Championship with Southampton, Premier League club Tottenham calling, signing the Welshman on 25 May 2007 for a fee of £10 million. The youngster had a difficult start to life at Spurs; coming under scrutiny for his defensive frailties, and a streak of injuries which only worsened the matter. But one night at the San Siro, during a UEFA Champions League tie, everything changed; playing in a more offensive role, the Welshman scored a hat-trick to stun then European champions Internazionale; Inter would recover to win the match 4-3 but the brilliant Welshman would grab all the headlines. The winger never looked back, overnight he transformed his career to become one of the most feared wide-man on the planet; with a return of 31 goals and 23 assists during his final two-years in England, he was crowned PFA Player of the Year twice, among a plethora of personal accolades. Soon it became apparent that Spurs weren’t in a position to match the Welshman’s lofty aspirations, and on 1 September 2013, Real Madrid paid a then world record transfer fee of €100 million to secure his services. The Welsh wizard would go on to play a pivotal part in Los Blancos’ success over the next decade, highlighted by their incredible run of 4 UEFA Champions League wins in five years.