Wales captain Gareth Bale joins Los Angeles FC

Wales' captain will be heading stateside

Wales captain Gareth Bales has agreed to join US football team Los Angeles FC (LAFC).

The 32-year-old footballer, who recently left Real Madrid after nine years, announced the big news on social media.

He posted a video on Twitter with the caption "See you soon, Los Angeles", confirming the move.

There had been suggestions Bale would opt to join Cardiff, with his agents confirming earlier this week they had held talks with the Championship club.

But instead, ahead of the World Cup in Qatar this winter, he'll be heading for the Major League Soccer (MLS) instead, where the season runs from February until October.

The news comes not long after Wales secured their spot in this year's World Cup after 64 years.

The squad, led by captain Bale, beat Ukraine in their qualifying match earlier this month.

The the team will play in Group B alongside England, USA and Iran in December.

What was Gareth Bales' time like at Real Madrid?

Gareth won the Champions League five time while he was at Real Madrid

Gareth Bale first joined Real Madrid back in 2013 after spending six years with Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur .

The move was a gigantic one at the time, with Bale signing with his new team for £85 million.

During his nine-year run at the Spanish club, Bale won the Champions League five times, the FIFA Club World Cup four times and he scored an impressive 106 goals for the team.

However, the Welsh star's time at Real Madrid wasn't all plain sailing.

Gareth Bale clashed with his former manager during his time at Real Madrid

He missed out on a number of games due to injuries which drew criticism and clashed with former French football star Zinedine Zidane who managed Real Madrid from 2016 to 2018, and again from 2019 to 2021.

It's also believed he failed to fully connect with Madrid fans some of whom felt he put his loyalty to Wales first.