Player Profile: Nicolas Anelka
Anelka is a French professional footballer who currently plays with Chelsea Football Club. The true position of Anelka is a striker but he has been known to float around in the diamond formation. One of his major achievements is when he scored 33 goals for
Chelsea in English Premier League in 2008- 2009 season and earned the Golden Shoe.
The ex-Arsenal striker was also a regular team member of France’s national team. Recently, French striker announced his retirement from international career, following the 18 matche ban that was given to him French football authority.
The former French striker is described as a quick player because of his pace. Anelka also possess good aerial abilities which often help to convert the possession of the ball. Henceforth his dribbling, accurate shooting and extraordinary movement off the
ball has earned him total of 177 goals.
Nicolas Anelka began his career at French Club, Paris Saint-Germain. Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger signed him in 1997 when he was only 17-years-old. Nicolas Anelka’s signing is also marked as one of the Arsene Wenger's best pieces of transfer business.
Arsenal manager plucked the youngster for a fee around £500,000. Anelka became a regular member of first team. Moreover, he has also managed to win the PFA Young Player of the Year Award the following season.
Anelka scored nine goals in forty matches for Arsenal in his debut season. Anelka scored fifteen more goals next season but unfortunately left Highbury. The talented striker was signed by Real Madrid for £22.3 which was quite profitable for Arsenal.
However, Anelka failed to impress at Real Madrid. He returned to Paris Saint-German in a £20 million deal. After that, Anelka joined Liverpool on loan in January 2002. Later on, French hit man joined Manchester City for £13 million at the start of the 2002–03
season.
Anelka stayed at Manchester City for only 3 years. During his short stay, Anelka scored 42 times for the Eastlands in only 90 appearances. After 3 years French hit-man left Manchester City to join Turkish club for two seasons for a deal worth 7 millions.
Anelka again made a return to England to join Bolton Wanderers and this time for 8 millions. Later on, he was again transferred to Chelsea from Bolton for a reported £15 million in January 2008.
Chelsea proved to be Anelka’s final English Premier League club. Anelka has built an aggregate transfer cost of almost 90 years during his transfers from different clubs over the years. Anelka is one of the only three players who won the Premiers League
title with two different clubs.
Nicolas Anelka has represented France many times at international level. Anelka won his first internationals honours with France at Euro 2000. Anelka’s goal scoring ratio in International career is not very impressive as compared to the Club level. The 31-year-old
striker has scored only fourteen times in sixty three appearances.
In addition to that, Chelsea striker has won the Confederations Cup with the French National Team in 2000. Unfortunately, he had very limited international appearances due to his unsettlement at the club level. He was also the part of France National Squad
for the Euro 2000.
During the FIFA WORLD CUP 2010, FFF (French Football Federation) excluded Nicolas Anelka from the World Cup squad for disciplinary misconduct on 19 June 2010. He was accused of making some unacceptable comments to the national coach, Raymond Domenech.
Nicolas has some awards and laurels to his nametoo. Anelka was named Premier League Player of the Month twice. (February 1998 and November 2008) He was also the striker of the PFA Team of the Year two times: 1999 and 2009. Nicolas Anelka earned Barclays
Golden Boot in 2008-09. He was player of the year in 1999.
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