Gareth Bale interested in buying hometown club

Former Wales captain Gareth Bale has confirmed he is interested in being part of a bid to buy his hometown club, Cardiff City.

Bale told Sky Sports that to be involved with an ownership group would be "a dream come true". The 35-year-old, who is from Cardiff, started his career at Southampton before joining Tottenham Hotspur and, later, Real Madrid.

He spent his last season before retirement at Los Angeles FC. For Wales, he scored 41 goals and made 111 appearances for his country between 2006 and 2022, and helped the men's side qualify for their first World Cup in 64 years.

The consortium is looking to buy a controlling interest in the Bluebirds. But an initial enquiry earlier this month was rejected by the club's long-term owner, Malaysian businessman Vincent Tan.

Bale was recently linked with a group reportedly involved in a failed takeover bid at Plymouth, who, like Cardiff, were relegated from the Championship at the end of the season. At the premiere of F1: The Movie, Bale told Sky Sports the group was "interested in getting Cardiff".

"[Cardiff] is a club close to my heart. It's where I grew up and I would love to be able to be a part of growing Cardiff and taking it to the Premier League where it belongs," he added.

"I know how amazing the Welsh fans and Cardiff fans are. It would be amazing to try and do something together.

"We are trying to engage with Cardiff, and more news will come out on that in the future, but hopefully we can get something done." Read more from Sky News:Amazon to invest £40bn in UKBears escape from Devon wildlife enclosure Bale's potential involvement comes after another Welsh side recently saw investment from his former teammate, Real Madrid star Luka Modric. Swansea have not disclosed how much the 39-year-old Croatia captain had invested, but the 2018 Ballon d'Or winner said it was an "exciting opportunity" to get involved with the club..