Premiership Journeymen ... Nicolas Anelka
September 29th 2010 19:29
Link: twitter.com/mattsaltmer
There are a lot of footballers, like John Terry, Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes, who graduate through a club's academy, and happily spend the rest of their playing days at that side. Any player would tell you, that transferring and settling into a new club, is difficult. However, there are a select few players, who seem to have moved, and settled into new clubs, their entire careers. It takes a certain quality and determination, to make a success of yourself at a team, move on to another, and do the same, time and time again. In the next few days, using my blog, I'm going to honour, some of the greatest Premier League travellers, we have ever seen.
While Cristiano Ronaldo currently holds the world transfer record, moving to Real Madrid last summer for £82 million, he is not the most expensive footballer in the world. That honour, lies with Chelsea striker, Nicolas Anelka. Over the course of the last thirteen years, the Frenchman has cost a whole host of clubs across Europe, and mainly England, close to £90 million. And incredibly, he has been successful at pretty much every single one of the eight clubs he has played for.
He came through the youth system at Paris St Germain, and was touted as a player with a big future in the game. After making just ten appearances for the French outfit, and scoring one goal, new Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, was ready to give Anelka his first taste of Premier League football. In 1997 Wenger signed the 17-year-old, for £500,000. He scored his first goal against Manchester United, immediately winning over a large chunk of gunners supporters, but found himself watching Ian Wright and Dennis Bergkamp from the bench, for much of the end of 1996-97 season.
After an injury to Ian Wright, the 1997-98 season, really was the one to kick-start the teenagers career. He spearheaded Arsenal to their first Premier League Title, as well as the F.A Cup, in a glorious double year. Unfortunately, I remember him scoring in the cup final, against Newcastle United. The following season saw Anelka kick on again, winning the PFA Young Player of the Year award, but Arsenal failed to defend their title successfully, as Manchester United were crowned champions again. Despite no-one ever doubting the striker's talent, this is when it became apparent, he was quite the enigma.
At just 20-years-old, he demanded a wage rise at Arsenal, which added to his perceived lack of interest and effort, saw fans turn on him. This is when he was given his nick-name, which has stayed throughout his career, of 'Le sulk'. His attitude was already in question, despite his tender age. That summer, he left Arsenal, after scoring an impressive 23 Premier league goals, in 65 appearances. His new home was at Real Madrid, who paid £22 million for the temperamental wonder kid.
Many football fans would argue that Anelka's one year stint in the Spanish capital was the most unsuccessful chapter of his career. He made just 19 league appearances, scoring twice, before being sold back to his home town club a year later. However, Anelka would argue back, that winning the Champions League barely counts as unsuccessful. He scored vital goals in both legs of the semi-final against Bayern Munich, and started the final. So while his goal-scoring record wasn't the best while in Madrid, he did pick up a Champions League winners medal. That summer, he also won the European Championships with France, the highlight of what has often been a sour International career.
After returning to Paris Saint Germain for a reported £20 million, Anelka lasted just 18 months, before a fall out with the coach saw him on the move again. This didn't stop him from performing well on the pitch though, scoring ten goals for the French side, and adding the Intertoto Cup to his growing and already impressive medal haul. A 23-year-old Anelka returned to the Premier League for the second half of the 2001-02 season, two and half years after leaving for Madrid, in a loan move to Liverpool. He scored four goals for the Reds, and was widely expected to make the move permanent that summer.
He did return to the English Premier League that summer, but it wasn't to Liverpool. Kevin Keegan paid a club record £13 million, to take Anelka to Manchester City. He was a huge marquee signing, who to be honest, was a much better player than the sort Man City could usually attract at this time. But due to his personality and problems with coaches, Keegan was able to land his man. By this time, due to his constant transfers meaning he lacked form and consistency, Anelka had lost his place in the France squad, and didn't return until 2007!
After his messy departure from Arsenal, and average loan stint at Liverpool, Premer League fans were doubting Anelka's class, despite once being the premier youngster in the division. During his two years at City, 'Le sulk' reminded every English football fan of this quality, and goalscoring ability. He scored 37 league goals in just 89 games, for an average team. This endeared him to fans once again, only to then turn his back on the Premiership, to move to Turkey. In January 2004, he joined Fenerbache for £7 million.
Still only 25, he added yet another trophy to his collection, winning the Turkish Super League at the first attempt. After just six month's at his new club, there were very strong rumours linking him with a move to Newcastle United, but nothing materialised. He stayed in Turkey for another year, but after failing to win any more trophies, returned to the Premier League, AGAIN! This time he broke another team's transfer record, as Bolton Wanderers paid £8 million for his services.This proved to be a fantastic piece of business by the Lancashire club.
In just 18 months at Bolton, he managed to net 21 times in the league, and was the Premier League's top scorer when he left the club in January 2008. This transfer, at the moment, is the last time Anelka moved. He joined Chelsea on deadline day, for £15 million, almost double what Bolton had paid for him. After starting his career at the top of the footballing world, and moving down to mid-table English sides, he was back in the big time, challenging for major honours once again. This also coincided with him breaking his way back into the France set up.
So far, the now 31-year-old Anelka, has scored 33 league goals during his two-and-a-half year spell at Chelsea, the longest amount of time he has ever spent at any club in his career. He has helped them win a Premier League title, two FA cups, and the Community Shield. He seems to be very much part of Carlo Ancelotti's plans, and having finally found a home, could be set to end his career at the London club. But, given his past, I wouldn't be overly surprised to see him move again.
But just because he is settled at club level, does not mean Nicolas Anelka's career has avoided controversy in recent times. He was sent home from France's World Cup squad, which sparked a walk out by most of the French team, and created the most emberassing chapter in the country's footballing history. His spat with coach Raymond Domenech has landed him a huge ban from the national side, and with his age, pretty much signals the end of an international career, where he has netted 14 times in 69 caps.
Anelka is a player of unquestionable talent, but a very questionable attitude. As I started to fall in love with football in the late 90's, his time at Arsenal will live long in my memory, and when he was linked with Newcastle United, it is one of the most excited I have been by transfer speculation. Not many players represent five teams in the same top division, and he has played for four of last season's top seven (Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea). Given his impressive career, in which he has won nine major club trophies and three international, and fantastic scoring rate, which has landed him the Premier League golden boot in 2009, he is my top journeyman in the Premier League. At just 31, who knows how many more trophies, or transfers, could be in store for 'Le Sulk', Nicolas Anelka!
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