Wednesday 6 July 2016 22:52, UK
Gareth Bale goes head-to-head with Cristiano Ronaldo in Wednesday's Euro 2016 semi-final. The Welshman has outshone his Real Madrid team-mate in France. Is it a sign of what's to come?
It was January 2012, and Gareth Bale had been summoned to a shirt-signing session near Tottenham's old Chigwell training ground. The Welshman was emerging as one of the Premier League's brightest stars with Spurs, and this was the kind of marketing commitment that features regularly in any top-level footballer's day-to-day schedule.
Bale was relaxed and amenable as he worked his way through a pile of Tottenham shirts, chatting happily about life at Spurs and joking about their rivalry with Arsenal. A couple of hours later, as the event was beginning to wind down, Bale stood up, shook hands with those around him and made to leave.
First, though, he was required to film a short promotional video. Nothing out of the ordinary, he was told, it would only take a few seconds. Bale rather sheepishly agreed, but nervousness came over him in front of the camera. It was only after four or five takes that he got through it without stumbling over his words or forgetting his lines.
It was an endearing glimpse of bashfulness behind the confident exterior. Bale was 22 and it was only his third season in the Premier League, but 18 months later he became the most expensive British player in history when he joined Real Madrid. Now, after two Champions League wins in three years, he finds himself one game away from the Euro 2016 final.
It has been a whirlwind rise, and never has his transformation been more apparent than in the last few weeks in France. Bale has led Wales' historic campaign brilliantly on the pitch, and rather than suffering stage fright in the media spotlight, he now spends press conferences cracking jokes and winding up his opponents.
While Bale has flourished at Euro 2016, the man he shares the stage with at Real Madrid has fared rather differently. Cristiano Ronaldo's tournament began with some ill-judged criticism of Iceland, there was a penalty miss against Austria, and by the time he scored his first goal of the tournament against Hungary, Bale had already hit three.
That theme has continued through the knockout stage, with Bale instrumental in Wales' wins over Northern Ireland and Belgium, and Ronaldo struggling as Portugal scraped past Croatia and Poland. Bale has played down their upcoming duel - "it's not about two players" - but the clash of the Galacticos feels like more than a mere subplot.
Because while the 26-year-old is used to operating in Ronaldo's shadow in Spain, Euro 2016 has provided evidence to suggest the dynamic could change. The Welshman's difficult second season at Madrid is already forgotten, and while the 31-year-old Ronaldo is entering the latter stages of his career, Bale's ascendancy is gathering pace.
"He has grown in stature during his time at Real Madrid," Spanish football expert Terry Gibson tells Sky Sports. "It wasn't so long ago we were hearing that him and Ronaldo weren't getting on, and the supporters at the Bernabeu were critical of him because they had taken sides with Ronaldo. Now the chemistry between them is good, he's a star player and the fans adore him."
Bale's performances in France are a continuation of his electrifying domestic form. "The second half of last season was the best form he has shown since being at Madrid," says Gibson. "He had a problematic time with injuries, but when they were fighting back in La Liga and going well in the Champions League, Bale was outstanding."
Bale's crucial goals against Rayo Vallecano and Real Sociedad kept Madrid's title chase alive until the final day, and while Ronaldo's shirtless celebration was the defining image of the Champions League final, Bale had arguably been the best player on the pitch. He laid on Sergio Ramos' opening goal in normal time, and he converted his penalty in the shoot-out despite seizing up with cramp.
Ronaldo is deemed as the main man at Real Madrid at the minute but I think it is time for him to pass on that mantle. Gareth is ready to take that on.
As Ronaldo revelled in the limelight that night at the San Siro, Bale deflected praise towards the team. "The boys give everything," he said. "The club, the fans have been amazing on this journey. We showed resilience and we deserve it." It typified their different personalities, but in terms of what they produce on the pitch, the gap is closing.
Ronaldo's 35-goal tally in La Liga in 2015/16 was far higher than Bale's 19, but the Welshman missed a considerable chunk of the season through injury, and their strike rates were in fact nearly identical. Bale excels as a team player, too. He contributed 10 assists in 23 games last season. Ronaldo only managed 11 in 36.
Bale impressed centrally during Rafael Benitez's brief tenure, and he was even better when he was moved back to the flank by Zinedine Zidane. His adaptability has helped him settle in Spain, and the fans who once jeered him now treasure his contribution.
"I think people underestimate the different challenges and personalities involved when you join a new club," says Gibson. "You are desperate to impress your new team-mates and your manager, and for Bale there was also the pressure that came with his price-tag.
"I think his form in the second half of the season showed how much he has grown in confidence and belief. He looks now as if he really does feel at home at Real Madrid. He isn't overawed by being at one of the biggest clubs in the world, and the fans know that."
In France, Bale's leadership has shown his growing maturity. "The thing with Bale is that he really does enjoy being the leader," adds Gibson. "Now you're seeing a genuine world-class footballer taking a group of players to the European Championship semi-finals. So when Ronaldo does slow down, Madrid know they already have a Galactico who can step up and be the leader."
It's a far cry from that awkward moment in north-east London four years ago. The shyness of a player still discovering his full potential has been replaced by the total self-assurance of a world star at home among the elite. Bale is ready now. And when he faces Ronaldo in Lyon, he has the opportunity to show it.
