Gareth Bale searches for club after World Cup qualification

Wales has qualified into the 2022 FIFA World Cup thanks largely to the heroics of captain Gareth Bale, who has been very vocal about his desire to lead his country to Qatar later this year. However, the Welshman is now out of contract with Spanish giants Real Madrid, and is in search of a club where he can play at a competitive level leading up to the World Cup this winter.

Many speculated that Bale might choose to retire at the end of his rollercoaster stint with Real Madrid. However, he has now made it clear that he does not intend to stop playing professionally at the top level at least until the 2022 World Cup.

It was Bale who scored in the 1-0 victory over Ukraine in the playoffs, which confirmed their slot in the World Cup finals. As such, he now has a big goal ahead of him in the coming months.

Speaking to Sky Sports, he said, "It's the greatest result in the history of Welsh football. We're going to a World Cup! Words can't describe how we feel at the moment."

Despite massive success at the club level, including five UEFA Champions League titles, Bale's final years at Real Madrid were marred by injury concerns. He was also often slammed for prioritising Wales over the club.

"I'm just delighted we are going to a World Cup. It means everything, it's what dreams are made of. I'm speechless. I'm so glad we've done it for these amazing fans," he said, as quoted by Marca.

Now that his time with the Spanish champions is over, he needs to stay in shape by finding another club. He claims that a lot of offers are coming his way. "I've got a lot [of offers]," he said. However, he is most strongly linked with Cardiff City back in his homeland, where he can prepare to lead his national team side to the biggest stage in world football in a few months' time.