Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale has been named as player of the year by the Welsh Football Association.
The 25-year-old picked up the award for the fourth time in the past five years, meaning he has overtaken former Barcelona striker Mark Hughes and Arsenal and Celtic forward John Hartson, who both won it three times during their careers.
Bale, who is back in Wales preparing for his country’s clashes with Bosnia-Herzegovina and Cyprus in Euro 2016 qualfiying, enjoyed a hugely successful campaign in Madrid having made the switch from Tottenham Hotspur last summer.
He netted 15 La Liga goals in 27 appearances, and also found the net in both the Copa del Rey and Champions League finals as he won two trophies in his first season in Spain – paying back some of the 91 million euros the club spent on him.
His goal against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final was considered one of the goals of the campaign. Picking up the ball in his own half he showed incredible pace to get past Marc Bartra before racing into the area to finish past Pinto.
Speaking after picking up the award, Bale said: “It’s been a fantastic year. I went to Madrid to win trophies and I’ve been lucky enough to do that.”
