Gareth Bale

Wales are heading to their first football World Cup since 1958. Their captain is Gareth Bale, who was once the most expensive footballer in the world. Born in Cardiff in 1989, Gareth was first spotted at the age of 9 by Southampton. He become their second-youngest player of all time when he broke into the first-team aged 16, and enjoyed two seasons with the south coast club before moving to the Premier League with Tottenham. It was in North London that Bale announced himself on the European stage, eventually securing a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid for a then-world record fee. After nearly a decade in Spain, where he won some of football's biggest prizes, he surprised many by moving to the MLS to play for Los Angeles FC earlier this year. Gareth Bale's meteoric rise also coincided with a renaissance of the Welsh national team's fortunes - they'd regularly struggled to qualify for major tournaments in the decades before he broke onto the scene. With their World Cup campaign kicking off against the USA on Monday, Mark Coles looks at the life and career of the man who'll be leading Wales out. Producers: Ben Cooper and Matt Toulson Researcher: Kirsteen Knight Production Co-ordinators: Helena Warwick-Cross and Maria Ogundele Editor: Simon Watts Studio Engineer: Graham Puddifoot