The former Blues’ striker is also looking forward to starting his career with Chinese side http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Shanghai-Shenhua-c40497 this month.
The Shanghai Shenhua striker has shown his gratitude to the Chelsea fans for supporting him all the way through his four-year tenure at Stamford Bridge. Anelka’s spell at Chelsea was the longest ever he has spent at any of his
previous clubs and credits his fans for a successful journey.
Anelka agreed to his new deal with the Chinese club early in December, and made the move at the start of this year after spending most of his time in http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Liverpool-c39809, Bolton Wanderers and
Chelsea.
The former Los Blancos player won an English Premier League title and two FA Cups during his stay at Stamford Bridge and was influential in the 2008/09 season when he scored 25 goals in all competitions.
The French international was a first team regular at the Stamford Bridge before Andre Villas-Boas’ appointment at the start of this season. Boas has always been hesitant with selecting Anelka in the starting XI, and, instead favoured
out-of-form striker, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Fernando-Torres-c13707, over the Frenchman.
The striker saw first-team opportunities limited during the first-half of the season with the likes of Fernando Torres and http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Didier-Drogba-c11044 being preferred. Therefore, the player saw it as a right time to leave the club when the offer
from http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/China-c8926 came.
Anelka did not leave before applauding the bunch of his fans at the Stamford Bridge. He reckons that his fans were kind throughout his stay at the club, and also thanked his http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Chelsea-c38786 teammates for their overall support.
While talking to reporters ahead of his Chinese adventure, the 32-year-old further mentioned:
"I want to thank you all for the support you have always provided. I spent four wonderful years at this great club, where I worked alongside great players that have now become dear friends. But like everything else, this adventure
ends... On the eve of my 33rd year, I am headed to a new adventure, a new life, a different pace and a different world.”
Anelka moved to Chelsea in 2008, and made 125 league appearances, belting 39 goals during the process. The attacker will kick-start his Asian campaign when the Chinese Super League gets underway in February.
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