If there was any way Gareth Bale would have chosen to bow out at Real Madrid, winning the Champions League yet again would surely have been it.
He may have been an unused substitute, but touching that famous trophy for a fifth time was a fairytale ending. Now, however, he will have to set his sights lower. After all, he is a free agent, and will have to choose his next destination very carefully.
This decision was placed on the backburner while he helped Wales qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 64 years, but, with those celebrations now winding to an emotional close, the time has come for him to end speculation over his future.
Gareth Bale inspired Wales to the World Cup and will now decide on which club to join next
Bale (front row, second from right) won the Champions League and bowed out at Real Madrid
There were suggestions, of course, that he could just retire – although that is extremely unlikely, and probably impossible, with a spot at Qatar this winter official. So, then, who is in the running and which club finds themselves in pole position?
There will be a host of teams sniffing around him, and it is easy to see why. He departs the Bernabeu with a record of 106 goals in 256 appearances at the very top of the game, and has also won three LaLiga titles and the Copa del Rey.
Bale is nothing less than a serial winner and, despite his advancing age, would be more than an asset to any club on the hunt for silverware. But it is intriguing that sides in divisions lower than the Premier League have been strongly linked to him.
A serial winner, the forward will be an asset to any club, with a host of them interested in him
Indeed, the favourites with many bookmakers are Cardiff City. It may seem bizarre for him to drop into the Championship, but this would be a return to his hometown.
His agent, Jonathan Barnett, has also revealed Bale’s next move will be for personal reasons, rather than out of a desire to chase the money….