Gareth Bale said winning the Champions League “will live with me forever” after his goal helped Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid 4-1 in the final.
The former Tottenham forward gave Real the lead in extra time after Sergio Ramos’s 93rd-minute goal cancelled out a first-half effort from Diego Godin.
Marcelo and Cristiano Ronaldo sealed a 10th European Cup success for Real.
“It is what every footballer dreams of and it doesn’t come bigger in club football,” said Bale, 24, adding that “The celebration of the crowd meant everything to me, but the most important thing is we worked hard as a team and won the trophy and the 10th title for the club.”
Wales international Bale joined Real from Spurs for a world-record £85.3m last summer, but insisted the price tag was irrelevant. “I would have come here for a penny if it meant I could win the big titles,” he said.
Bale missed a hat-trick of chances before heading home Real’s vital second goal against the newly crowned Spanish champions at Estadio da Luz.
“I have learned from past experiences to keep going, forget the chances you have missed and to keep persevering and a chance will come,” he said.
“It was a close game, especially in normal time. We have played Atletico Madrid four times this season and every game has been close. They make it very difficult when they get a goal ahead and it’s hard to break them down.”
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