
Gareth Bale shuts down speculation as he sets the record straight – 'There won't be any'
Gareth Bale has rejected the idea of becoming a professional golfer, committing his impressive skills on the fairways as just a hobby for now. The Welsh footballing legend has also declined to comment on the subject of a potential plan to purchase Cardiff City.
The 36-year-old was spotted at the AIG Women's Open, hosted near his birthplace in Royal Porthcawl. However, when asked by BBC Sport Wales if he'd ever consider taking the sport up full-time, Bale was adamant that golf would remain a leisurely activity.
He said: "When you are in golf and you see professional golfers play, compared to even your best stuff, it is nowhere near. Never mind just playing with your friends, they are doing it under the most severe pressure, in tournament conditions, in hard weather... so there won't be any professional [golf] for me.
"But I love the game. I love watching it, I love growing it and that's why we are here."
On his golf routine, Bale added: "I try to play twice a week if I can – if I can get another practice session it's always a bonus."
While Bale enjoys his time on the golf course, his post-retirement days might be occupied with running the Bluebirds. Despite a "brand new offer" from Bale's group earlier this month, the ex-Real Madrid ace kept quiet when asked during the golf tournament.
Bale is part of a consortium with ambitions to take over his hometown club, having previously told Front Office Sports Today that the current bid on the table represents a "great offer."
Speaking earlier this month, Bale said: "It's exciting news, we have a brand new offer on the table, it's recently just gone in. We think it's a great offer, one that we're very happy with.
"We think it's very fair, if not more than fair, and it's something we hope the current owners will take serious.
"We'd love them to accept so we can take full control and get on with what we want to do and create Cardiff into a club that we know it can be."
Current Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan is understood to have little appetite for selling the club, though Bale remains optimistic that a deal could materialise down the line.
This comes as Cardiff prepare to launch their League One campaign on Saturday, hosting Peterborough United in an early kick-off.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


BBC News
28 minutes ago
- BBC News
Alexander on new Bradford deal and recruitment
Bradford City boss Graham Alexander has been speaking to the media ahead of his side's opening League One game against Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday at 15:00 are the key lines:Alexander says his new three-year deal as manager is not a reward for the club's dramatic final day promotion to League One last season but a validation of the work that's been done by himself and his backroom staff. He revealed that club CEO Ryan Sparks had first mentioned a new deal months believes there is still a lot of potential at Valley Parade and is passionate that more can be achieved over the next three club have made nine signings this window and Alexander says they're still looking to recruit further, specifically on an unnamed area. They're yet to identify that went on to explain their current budget allows for one more addition. "Any more than that, we'll have to trade. We'll have to have outgoings.""A couple of individuals" were told on the first day of pre-season it's likely they won't be in Alexander's plans. There is nothing close regarding their departures, with Alexander confirming interest has been shown but deals have not asked about the use of the loan market, he said the club were open to it but stressed the importance of Bradford owning players and the need for long-term consistency. The club are yet to make a loan signing this defenders Paul Huntington, who made 21 appearances last season, and Jack Hunt have both been training with the squad during pre-season. Alexander is yet to decide whether they will be offered Neill Byrne is out for at least two months with a knee problem, with fellow defender Ciaran Kelly (groin) and forward Calum Kavanagh (shin) doubts for this to the full pre-match press conference with Graham Alexander and more on BBC Sounds.


Scottish Sun
30 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Ex-Arsenal man hired by Thomas Frank is key to solving one of Tottenham's biggest issues – and it's already working
One Spurs star has already spoken about the work on set-pieces GONE NORTH Ex-Arsenal man hired by Thomas Frank is key to solving one of Tottenham's biggest issues – and it's already working Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THOMAS FRANK will have a chance today to see just how far his new Tottenham side have come on set-pieces when they take on the masters of the craft. No one scored more goals from dead-ball situations, excluding penalties, in the Premier League last season than Arsenal, who face North London rivals Spurs in Hong Kong this lunchtime. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 Thomas Frank has hired Arsenal's former set-piece specialist Credit: Getty 6 Nicolas Jover inspired the Gunners' set-piece prowess Credit: Getty Play Dream Team now! Play The Sun Dream Team ahead of the 2025/26 season Free to play Over £100,000 in total prize money Play in Mini Leagues against your mates Submit a team for Gameweek 1 to enter £5,000 prize draw Play via Dream Team's app or website today! The Gunners netted a whopping 17 times from those scenarios, inspired by their set-piece specialist coach Nicolas Jover. German-born Frenchman Jover, 43, fast became a household name among Gooners for the way he leaps into action, barking orders from Mikel Arteta's technical area whenever Arsenal get a free-kick or corner. Frank has his own grand plans to turn Spurs into set-piece experts - and has hired an ex-Gunners coach to help him do it. Andreas Georgson spent a year as Arteta's set-piece coach between 2020 and 2021, having left Frank's Brentford to take up the position. The Swede, 43, was replaced by Jover before going on to hold similar roles at Southampton and Manchester United, as well as more senior roles back in Scandinavia. Georgson's latest gig is at Spurs, where he became part of Frank's new-look coaching staff that was announced earlier this month. He holds the title of first-team assistant coach, but his specific focus will be set-pieces. Frank excelled from the routines at Brentford, netting 14 league goals from them last term and conceding a Prem-best three. SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET £50 BONUS WHEN YOU JOIN It is not just from corners and free-kicks that he looks to gain an advantage, either. Fans will remember how his Bees, remarkably, scored virtually from the kick-off in three successive games last September. Arsenal vs Tottenham fan debate battle | Stoppage Time The remarkable hat-trick saw them make Premier League history by becoming the first team to net within the first minute in a trio of back-to-back fixtures. Long throws are also something he is happy to employ, with footage from Destiny Udogie's Snapchat appearing to reveal Spurs have held 'long throw auditions' in pre-season training. Centre-back Micky van de Ven is hoping all the extra work on dead-ball situations will pay off this season. The Dutchman, 24, said on Tuesday: 'We have had a lot of training sessions already where we are working on set-pieces. I know you guys love talking about set-pieces and Tottenham. 6 Jover was often spotted alongside Mikel Arteta on the Arsenal touchline Credit: Getty 6 Micky van de Ven has revealed that Spurs are already working on improving their record with the deadball Credit: Getty 'I hope we can change that this year and make it a strong point for us on the offensive and defensive side.' The "I know you guys love talking about set-pieces and Tottenham" remark related to the furore surrounding them under predecessor Ange Postecoglou. In truth, it was a mountain made out of a molehill by Postecoglou himself, and it came after a North London derby defeat to today's opponents. Spurs conceded twice from corners in their 3-2 home loss to Arsenal in April 2024, during Postecoglou's first campaign. At the time, it took the club's tally of goals conceded from set-pieces to nine, which was not terrible but not great either. It just required an acknowledgement that things could have been improved and a promise to work on them. Postecoglou instead appeared to dismiss set-pieces altogether after the game, then doubled down on that view again a few days later in his next press conference. After that, a narrative emerged that he did not care about them at all, which was brought up every time Spurs subsequently conceded from a dead-ball situation, not including spot-kicks. Frank has been very clear about how much he values them and spoke of his pride after his new team scored their first goals under him from set-pieces in his opening friendly, a 2-0 win at Reading, earlier this month. 6 Frank is hoping to make Spurs a threat from set-pieces Credit: Getty 6 Tottenham face Arsenal in a North London derby TODAY Credit: Getty Arsenal set the bar for success in this area - today Spurs can get an early idea of how they measure up at the Kai Tak Stadium today. They will do it, meanwhile, wearing kit with bespoke, jazzy-looking shirt numbers designed by local artists. 'ParentsParents', a collective of artists from diverse backgrounds in graffiti, illustration and geometry style character, designed the numbers, using themes, colours and symbols meaningful to Hong Kong. You can put your shirt on set-pieces playing a key role in today's friendly version of the North London derby on the far side of the world.


Scottish Sun
30 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Why Chelsea must move quickly to sign RB Leipzig star Xavi Simons and ease some of the burden on Cole Palmer
Read on to find out why Xavi Simons could be the signing that protects Palmer SIMONS SWOOP Why Chelsea must move quickly to sign RB Leipzig star Xavi Simons and ease some of the burden on Cole Palmer Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) RB LEIPZIG star Xavi Simons could be just the man to ease the creative burden on Cole Palmer at Chelsea. Together, the Netherlands and England starlets would give the Blues a new level of attacking threat. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 8 Simons has been strongly linked to Chelsea all summer and could ease the burden on Palmer Credit: Getty 8 He has the skill and technique to play with Palmer or stand in for him Credit: Reuters 8 Palmer is the undisputed star at Chelsea but he will need help to avoid a burn out Credit: Getty Play Dream Team now! Play The Sun Dream Team ahead of the 2025/26 season Free to play Over £100,000 in total prize money Play in Mini Leagues against your mates Submit a team for Gameweek 1 to enter £5,000 prize draw Play via Dream Team's app or website today! Palmer, 23, is Chelsea's talisman, the man they ask to make things happen. In the Club World Cup final a fortnight ago, he scored twice and set up the third in the 3-0 win over Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain. But when the Three Lions star is not in form, as was the case for much of the second half of last season, Chelsea struggle to score and create. Enzo Maresca's side need another playmaker capable of unlocking defences, making chances for others and taking them himself. READ MORE ON CHELSEA Palm Reader Cole Palmer tipped for shock Man Utd transfer by ex-Fergie coach The Stamford Bridge outfit have also been linked with Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers, Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze and Alejandro Garnacho at Manchester United. But statistics suggest it is £60million-rated Simons, 22, who has the skillset and quality to match Palmer's output. Maresca unleashing both Palmer and the RB Leipzig star on Premier League defences could be a frightening prospect. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK 8 It is too simplistic to say Simons is a right-footed version of Palmer, who likes to cut in from the left as the England international does from the other side. But they both do a lot of the same things very well and, in most cases, better than Rogers, Eze and Garnacho. Do Man United fans want Nicolas Jackson? Simons had an impressive 2024-25 campaign, despite being part of a Leipzig side that lost seven of their eight Champions League games and finished outside the European places in Bundesliga. The Dutch international's ten goals and seven assists in 25 Bundesliga appearances were below Palmer's figures of 15 and eight in 37 Prem games. But when you look at their numbers calculated per 90 minutes, Simons matched or bettered Palmer's output. Away from the more obvious stats like goals and assists, there are others which show how Simons might not only provide Palmer-like qualities but also offer something new. Amazingly, he had nearly 15 more touches per 90 minutes than Palmer and was also fouled more often. This is a player who wants to get on the ball and is prepared to take responsibility — as well as the hits that come with it. 8 Simons has been tipped to be the face of the Dutch national team Credit: Getty 8 Manchester United have been linked but it's Chelsea that he really wants Credit: EPA Simons also averaged more progressive carries and won possession in the final third more often. Over the course of their careers in the big five European leagues, Palmer (two full seasons in the Prem) comes out ahead of Simons (two full seasons in the Bundesliga and a smattering of Ligue 1 experience at PSG) in a number of areas. But you can argue that Simons' breakout year for PSV Eindhoven in 2022-23 — Holland's Eredivisie is not one of the Big Five — should also be taken into account. He scored 19 times and provided eight assists in 34 league appearances, bouncing back from his difficult spell at PSG. There are always worries about whether players who are outstanding in other big leagues can reproduce that form in England. Rogers, Eze and Garnacho, to one extent or other, have proved themselves in the Premier League. But the fact remains that Simons outperforms them in pretty much every area except dribbling. And Chelsea have already signed out-and-out wingers Jamie Gittens and Estevao Willian to boost them in that area. Simons is also versatile. He started on the left most of the time for Leipzig last season but not as a full blown winger, as he tended to come inside to impose himself on the game. 8 Palmer needs rest and Chelsea need a player who has equal ability to step in for him every now and then Credit: Getty 8 Simon plays with a similar intensity as Palmer And he has also played on the right, as an attacking midfielder, No 10 and even a false nine. He would give Blues boss Maresca a variety of options and fits the Chelsea policy of buying gifted young players. If the Londoners do complete a deal for Simons, doubts will be raised about how Maresca fits all that attacking talent into one team. Could Palmer and Simons play together, without treading on each other's toes? If one failed to deliver, then the other might. But if they both click, Chelsea's opponents at home and abroad would be in for a torrid time.