With the Welsman's glittering football career now over, he has been a regular on ♣ the golf course as he moves into a different chapter in his life. And he proved his talents are not ♣ limited to the pitch as he took part in the BMW PGA Celebrity Pro-Am. Arriving at Wentworth with an handicap ♣ of 0.5 - showing he has been working on his swing - Bale caught the eye as he was joined ♣ by household names such as Rory McIlroy, Jermaine Jenas and JP McManus.

In fact, four-time major champion McIlroy seemed very impressed ♣ with the former Tottenham winger, who was proving very adept at the DP World Tour event. In his dulcet Northern ♣ Irish tones, he was heard praising the retired footballer for his efforts after his opening tee-shot.

Seemingly pleasantly surprised by the ♣ former Wales talisman's connection, he said: "Good strike! That's OK there". In a memorable moment, the world-famous pair then shared ♣ an approving smile before Bale's former Spurs teammate Jenas took to the tee.

Despite his excellent showing in front of golfing ♣ royalty, it does appears that the five-time Champions League victor still feels he has a lot to learn when it ♣ comes to his second love. In an interview with Uproxx, the 34-year-old explained that he still feels far off professional ♣ standard.