Gareth Bale 'ordained' by Real Madrid as transfer fee pays off

The Welshman's headed goal that delivered La Decima has elevated him to superstar status

Gareth Bale lifts the trophy during the Real Madrid celebration
(Image credit: Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images)

Gareth Bale earned his place in Real Madrid hearts and history, and paid off his world record transfer fee, by scoring the decisive goal in Saturday's Champions League final against Atletico Madrid on Saturday as his side won a historic tenth European Cup success in his very first season at the Bernabeu.

Bale had not had the most impressive of nights in Lisbon, fluffing several chances to score before he finally found the net with a header in the 110th minute of the match. But his intervention gave Real Madrid the lead for the first time in the match and capped a fantastic turnaround for Los Blancos, who trailed 1-0 after 93 minutes, only for Sergio Ramos to head home and send the game into extra time.

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