Gareth Bale came off the bench to fire Real Madrid to Champions League glory, before throwing his future with the 13-time European champions into doubt.
Bale’s stunning overhead kick, just over two minutes after coming on, handed Zinedine Zidane’s side a 2-1 advantage against Liverpool, before an error from Loris Karius allowed the Welshman to grab his second of the night and seal the win.
Zidane had left Bale among his substitutes in Kiev, with Isco and Karim Benzema preferred to the 28-year-old, but he certainly made his presence felt, as his goals sealed Madrid’s third Champions League title in a row.
Speaking to BT Sport after the game, Bale said: “I need to be playing, I need to be playing week in, week out and that hasn’t happened this season for one reason or another.
“I had a five or six week injury at the start of the season and I’ve been fit ever since.
“Obviously now I have to sit down in the summer and discuss it with my agent and we’ll take it from there.”
On his frustration at not starting the final against Liverpool and his performance from the bench, Bale added: “You have to make an impact. I was disappointed not to start, but you have to keep working until the end.”
