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Wales star Gareth Bale stands on the brink of becoming Britain’s most successful goalscoring export in Spain’s La Liga.

His strike for Real Madrid in the 7-1 victory over Celta Vigo was Bale’s 42nd in the Spanish top flight, taking him level with Gary Lineker, who notched the same number during his three-year spell at Barcelona in the 1980s.

Related:Why on earth is Gareth Bale playing with holes in his socks?

Taking into account goals in other competitions – including his strikes to help win the Champions League and Copa del Rey – Bale has already overtaken Lineker, with a total of 53 in Spain compared to 48.

But it is in the league, playing against the top defenders in the tough testing ground of the country’s premier competition, that Bale now looks set to be the ultimate top Brit too.

(Image: Getty Images)

And the world's most expensive player will have achieved it in a shorter space of time, the £85m Welshman taking 74 games to reach 42, while Lineker took 103 matches between 1986 and 1989.

There are some mitigating circumstances for the former England striker, who has now become one of TV’s top football presenters.

After a lightning start to his time at the Camp Nou, Lineker suffered injury and illness before being shovelled across to the right wing by manager Johan Cruyff, who had taken over from the manager who signed him, Terry Venables.

Bale, too, though, has suffered extended time out injured, which makes his feat at being the best of British even more remarkable.

(Image: Getty Images)

The Welshman, who has just returned from a six-week absence, has left the likes of Scotland’s Steve Archibald (24 goals in 55 games), English trio Michael Owen (13 in 36), David Beckham (13 in 116), Steve McManaman (eight in 94) and Wales’ own Mark Hughes (four in 28) in his wake.

His total has taken him to 109th in the all-time La Liga list, ahead of such luminaries as Thierry Henry, Kaka and Alexis Sanchez.

(Image: Getty Images)

He will have to go some to catch the top two, though, with Lionel Messi (328) and Cristiano Ronaldo (252) still with power to add ahead of Raul’s 228.

And he still has a way to go to beat Wales’ best export to a European league, John Charles’ 112 Serie A goals for Juventus and Roma.

Related:Gareth Bale is the cover star for Pro Evolution Soccer's Euro 2016 game

But fitness and form permitting, Bale could continue to add to his own total and he has the chance to go past Lineker, at least, when Los Blancos head to the Canary Islands to face Las Palmas on Sunday.

Watch: Gareth Bale scores a belter in training