Gareth Bale: Wales forward nominated for best player in Europe award

Gareth Bale was surprisingly not named in the official team of the Euro 2016 tournament

Gareth Bale has been rewarded for a stellar season after being named on the shortlist nominated for the Uefa Best Player in Europe award.

Bale scored 24 goals in 42 appearances for club and country this season as he led Real Madrid to an eleventh Champions League title.

However, it was his heroics with Wales that caught the eye as he inspired them to the semi finals of Euro 2016 in their first major finals in 58 years.

Bale is part of a 10-man shortlist.

Journalists from each of Uefa's 55 member associations provided a list of their five best-ranked players.

Three finalists from the shortlist of 10 will be announced on 5 August.

The UEFA jury will then cast their votes for the outright winner, which will be announced during the UEFA Champions League group stage draw in Monaco on 25 August.

Bale's inclusion caps a memorable 24 hours for the 27-year old who announced his engagement over the weekend on social media.