Gareth Bale's Espanyol Appearance Equals Long Standing La Liga Record Set By David Beckham

Gareth Bale's appearance for Real Madrid against Espanyol on Tuesday night equalled an impressive Los Blancos record that had previously been set by David Beckham way back in 2007.

On the whole it was a disappointing night at the RCDE Stadium for Zinedine Zidane and his team - falling to a 1-0 defeat with the last kick of the game. However, while Los Blancos will be bitterly disappointed at seeing their five game winning streak come to an abrupt end, Bale himself will be somewhat proud of his achievement last night.

The Welsh international equalled Beckham's record of all-time La Liga appearances by a British player at 116; and will surely break it in the not so distant future.

Despite enduring a rather tricky spell at times in the Spanish capital - with frequently recurring injuries drastically hindering Bale's career progression - the former Tottenham winger's  stats whilst playing at the Bernabeu are rather impressive; especially compared to those set by Beckham.

In 116 matches, Bale has recorded 34 assists and 61 goals, whereas his fellow record sharing Brit only mustered 27 assists and 13 goals.

However, in spite of all this, much talk has emerged recently of a return to the Premier League for Bale - with Zidane reportedly planning to swap the winger with Harry Kane, Tottenham's goal scoring superstar.

Bale has also often been mentioned in the same breath as Manchester United, and was linked with a move back there as recently as last summer. 

Regardless of whether or not Bale returns to England in the summer, it seems a long while off anyone breaking his La Liga appearance record once he sets it.