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Creator of 'infamous' Cristiano Ronaldo statue returns with Gareth Bale bust

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The creator of the now "infamous" Cristiano Ronaldo statue has been commissioned by bookmaker Paddy Power to create a bust of Wales and Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale.

Not so very long ago, artist Emanuel Santos hit headlines all over the world over with his dreadful depiction of Ronaldo outside the airport on the Portuguese island of Madeira.

The Madeiran artist was even forced to defend his artistic creation after it was widely ridiculed on social media.

Not to be perturbed, Santos has now returned with a second offering and this time it's in honour of Ronaldo's Madrid teammate Bale.

With the Champions League final in Cardiff just a few days away, the artist has this time sought to capture the essence of the Welsh winger.

Santos spent four days moulding the clay in Madeira before shipping it off to Porto for the all-important bronzing and flown 2,300km to Cardiff.

The bust took 264-man hours to complete, including a whole day of Google image research, weighs 40kg and has an estimated value of £25,000.

Fans in Cardiff can see the bust on display at Paddy Power store, on St Mary Street, until Sunday.

After seeing his work on show, Santos said:
I have become a bit famous since my Ronaldo artwork with people telling me how much it made them smile, so to bring another famous footballer to life is a true honour.

Maybe I'll create another one to make it a hat trick as they say in football.
A spokesperson at Paddy Power added:
We think Emmanuel is a legend - just like the footballers he sculpts.

We're privileged to be the first to exhibit his art in the UK and know the good people of Wales and visitors to the big final will love his tribute to the Welsh Wonder.

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