Gareth Bale recalled to Real Madrid squad for Roma friendly

Welshman has only played twice in pre-season as speculation over his future remains rife

September 2013: Villarreal v Real Madrid – debut goal. After the start to his Real Madrid career was disrupted by injury, Gareth Bale scored his first goal for his new club against Villarreal in a La Liga game at El Madrigal Stadium. Getty

November 2013: Real Madrid v Real Valldolid – the perfect hat-trick. Bale started to realise the demands of Real Madrid fans after being criticised for his display in the Clasico defeat to Barcelona in October. He responded by going on a red-hot run of goalscoring form, which included his first Madrid treble in a 4-0 win over Valladolid. It was a perfect hat-trick, too: left foot, right foot, header. Getty

April 2014: Real Madrid v Barcelona - Copa del Rey final winner. The crowning moment of Bale’s debut season at Real Madrid. With the score level at 1-1, Bale scored one of the greatest goals in Spanish football history, burning Barcelona defender Marc Bartra for pace, sprinting half the pitch, before sliding the ball home for an 85th minute winner. Getty

May 2014: Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid - Champions League final goal. Bale stepped up once again on the biggest of stages. After the Champions League final seemed to be heading to penalties, Bale scored to give Real Madrid a 2-1 lead in extra time. Real went on to win 4-1 and claim their 10th European Cup. Getty

December 2014: Real Madrid v San Lorenzo - Club World Cup final goal. In a season blighted by more injury problems, Bale scored in his third major final for Real Madrid, netting the second in a 2-0 win over San Lorenzo to win the Fifa Club World Cup. Getty

December 2015: Real Madrid v Rayo Vallecano - four-goal haul. Bale produced the most prolific performance of his Real Madrid career when he scored four goals in a 10-2 thrashing of Rayo Vallecano in La Liga. Three weeks later, he scored another hat-trick in a 5-0 win over Deportivo. Getty

May 2018: Real Madrid v Liverpool - Champions League final match-winner. Bale was finding himself increasingly marginalised by Zidane and was among the substitutes for the Champions League final against Liverpool. Called off the bench with the score at 1-1, Bale scored one of the greatest goals in Champions League history with a spectacular overhead kick. He scored again to steer Madrid to a 3-1 win and their third successive European Cup. Getty

December 2018: Fifa Club World Cup - player of the tournament. After the exit of Zidane, Bale resumed a more important role under eventual successor Santiago Solari and was central to Madrid’s Club World Cup triumph in Abu Dhabi. He scored a hat-trick in the semi-final against Kashima Antlers before Madrid beat Al Ain in the final. He was named player of the tournament. Getty

February 2019: Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid - 100th goal. On February 9, 2019 Bale became just the 15th player in Real Madrid’s history to score 100 goals for the club when he struck in a 3-1 win away to city rivals Atletico. Bale has since moved on to 102 goals, placing him 14th on Madrid’s all-time list. Getty

Gareth Bale has been recalled to the Real Madrid squad for their final pre-season friendly against Roma on Sunday night.

The Wales forward returns after being omitted from Zinedine Zidane's squad for Wednesday's clash with Red Bull Salzburg, having also previously missed the club's trip to Germany for the Audi Cup.

That came after the collapse of Bale's proposed transfer to Chinese club Jiangsu Suning amid widespread speculation his six-year stay in Spain could be about to end.

Bale reportedly skipped the trip to Germany, where the Spanish giants faced Tottenham and Fenerbahce, as he was upset with his treatment at the hands of Real boss Zidane and president Florentino Perez and felt he was not in the right frame of mind to play.

The 30-year-old's future at the Bernabeu has been uncertain since Zidane returned to manage Real for a second time in March.

However, Bale, who joined Real from Tottenham Hotspur in 2013 and has three years left on his contract, has now been included in a 20-man squad to face Roma at the Stadio Olimpico later on Sunday.

That will be Real's seventh and final pre-season friendly, of which Bale has featured in two so far.

Colombia forward James Rodriguez, whose Real future is also uncertain, was not part of the squad to travel to Italy.

The 13-time European champions begin their La Liga campaign away to Celta Vigo next weekend.

Remind yourself of the happier moments Gareth Bale has enjoyed at Real Madrid in the gallery above. To move on to the next photo, click on the arrows, or if using a mobile device, simply swipe.