Gareth Bale has opened up on a fear of going bankrupt, despite earning almost £29million-a-year during his time at Real Madrid.

The Welshman, who retired after the 2022 World Cup, revealed that tales of former athletes losing fortunes after their careers ended left a lasting impression. 

'There was one thing that always scared me inside,' the 36-year-old told Front Office Sports. 'You read articles about when people finish professional sports, they go bankrupt. They don't know how to manage their money, they don't know how to do all these things.'

The former Tottenham and Real Madrid forward added that he made a conscious effort to live modestly, despite being one of the best-paid footballers in the world. 

At the height of his career, Bale was among Europe's richest players, earning £554,000 per week at the Bernabeu after signing a six-year, £150million contract in 2016. 

That sum became a millstone for the Spanish club when they were looking to offload him at the back end of his time at the Bernabeu. 

In 2022, Spanish outlet Marca ranked him as the continent's third-highest earner, behind only Neymar and Lionel Messi. 

'A lot of, I imagine, athletes live a big lavish lifestyle. I try not to do that. I always had one eye on what life would be like after football,' he said.

'When I finish, I stop getting the paycheck. How do people then restructure their lives?' Bale continued. 

'So I was always trying to diversify from quite early on. Always had this pillar idea where I would try and invest my money in different things. 

'If one pillar got chopped down and didn't work, the whole building is not going to fall down.'

Bale has built a portfolio of business ventures in Cardiff since retiring. He owns Elevens Bar and Par 59, a mini-golf themed bar in the city centre, and has led a consortium that tabled a £40m bid to purchase his hometown club, Cardiff City.

He also works as a pundit on TNT Sports for their Champions League coverage, and has a sponsorship deal with BMW.  

Addressing reports that he could buy the Championship side, Bale revealed he had already held informal talks about taking control. 

'I suggested about my home team,' he said. 'It's one that's been on the decline for a few years now and has such massive potential, being a one-city club. 

'We are looking forward to the response, we would love to get ownership of it and take the club back to where we think it belongs.'

Since hanging up his boots, Bale has moved into punditry with TNT Sports and remains an avid golfer. 

He recently appeared at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, finishing as one of the top amateurs in a field featuring Andy Murray, Ben Stokes and Lando Norris.