UEFA Super Cup 2018: Four players who could help Real Madrid retain the trophy

#1 Gareth Bale

Gareth Bale celebrates his goal in the Champions League final against Liverpool

Another player to have been overshadowed by Ronaldo's gargantuan impact, Gareth Bale was signed in 2013 for a then world record fee of £85 million, owing to his impressive displays for Tottenham in the Premier League.

Since that time, however, like everyone else, he has struggled to exert the same influence that he exhibited at Tottenham, as Ronaldo's effect on Real was so enormous that it was impossible to usurp him.

Injuries have also been unkind to the Welshman, as persistent spells on the treatment table meant that the Bernabeu crowd have never truly seen the best of Gareth Bale.

There have been flashes of brilliance though. It was he, who got the first goal in extra time after Ramos had scored a late leveller in the Champions League 'La Decima' triumph of 2014.

There was also his winning strike against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final of 2014, where he left Marc Bartra for dead in a stunning burst of pace and more recently his wonder overhead kick goal against Liverpool in the final of the just concluded Champions League.

However, those moments have been far too rare for a player of Bale's high quality, and he has found himself out of the Madrid first team picture for the last two seasons, leading to increased speculations over his long-term future at the Bernabeu, as he sought increased playing time.

With Ronaldo gone, the stage now seems set for Gareth Bale to play a prominent role for the Los Blancos, and the first step to ushering Real Madrid into glory post-Ronaldo would be to play a starring role in delivering the first trophy the capital club contests in his absence.