Gareth Bale's career may have ended with a slight whimper, but there's no doubt that he is one of the best British players of all time, and arguably Britain's greatest export, writing himself into the Real Madrid history books.

So often when there was a big moment for Los Blancos, there was Bale at the forefront, whether it be El Clasico solo goals or stunning overhead strikes to seal more Champions League glory.

The Welshman squared off against some of the best defenders that football has to offer, yet, more times than not, he excelled. Who can forget his dominating display against Inter Milan and Maicon back in 2010? That's the moment we knew Tottenham Hotspur had the next best thing.

The former Spurs winger ended his career by winning the MLS Cup with LAFC, in which he scored a last-minute equaliser to take the game to extra time and penalties, where his side secured the silverware.

That doesn't mean Bale was without his struggles on the pitch, however, with one surprise name proving to be his toughest right-back.

Who was the toughest right-back Gareth Bale played against?

Speaking to The Times, Bale revealed a surprising pick for the right-back he found it most difficult to play against, saying: "The hardest right-back I played against was Micah Richards. I was a bit quicker but he was an athlete, so strong and holding. I’d knock it round him but he just [leans across and] goes ‘no!’”

Maybe Richards was right about bursting onto the scene, after all, even pocketing a future Galactico on his way. It will certainly be an ego-boosting moment for the 35-year-old Sky Sports pundit when he hears Bale's answer.

The former Manchester City right-back previously recalled his encounters with Bale, saying on Sky Sports, via TalkSport: "Many moons ago now, at Southampton, he was playing left-back and I was playing right-back. Let’s say I got the better of him. I ate him for lunch.

"So then, forward a few seasons, he goes to Spurs and subconsciously I’m thinking ‘it’s only Gareth Bale. I can deal with him. I had him at Southampton’.

“It was a massive, massive mistake. He destroyed me. If it wasn’t for Joe Hart in that game, I remember it, first game of the season at White Hart Lane. Pace, power and fitness.

“I always thought as a defender ‘hit them hard early doors and they won’t come back’. He kept coming back and coming back and coming back."

What club is Bale in 2023?

As of right now, we're sure Bale is enjoying life without any club having now retired, and no doubt is indulging in a game of golf or two, but that doesn't mean we won't see the Welshman in a football role in the future.

We've seen a number of former players step into coaching and management, from Steven Gerrard to Wayne Rooney. Perhaps Bale will follow in the footsteps of others to step into the technical area – although, it does seem more likely that he'll end up on the golf course for the foreseeable future.

Whatever he ends up doing next though, Bale may want to avoid the difficulty of his first-ever encounter with Richards. Instead, he will hope to find a Loris Karius-like counterpart in his next career step within the coming years, and his next step.