Nicolas Anelka Biography

Name :
Nicolas Anelka

Nationality :
French

Date of Birth :
14/03/1979
Versailles, France

Height :
6' 1" (185cm)

Weight :
12st 2lbs (77.0kg)

Squad No :
39

Previous Clubs :
Real Madrid, PSG, Fenerbahce,
Manchester City, Liverpool (loan), Bolton, Arsenal

Position :
Striker

Chelsea Career
Nicolas Anelka became Avram Grant's first signing when he completed his transfer from Bolton in January 2008.

He signed a three-and-a-half year deal and his reported fee meant more money had been spent on transferring him over the course of his career than on any other player in football history.

Upon signing for Chelsea, Nicolas found both game time and goals hard to come by, contributing two in his first half-season, largely playing second fiddle to, rather than alongside Didier Drogba.

It is for a substitute appearance that Nicolas's first five months at Chelsea will be most remembered. Entering the Champions League final in Moscow in the 99th minute, it was his sudden-death miss that ended the penalty shoot-out and sent the European Cup to Manchester.

He made amends in 2008/09, eventually linking up effectively with Drogba under Guus Hiddink's coaching, returning to goalscoring ways after a two-month drought and earning his first silverware in England since the 1998 Double he won with Arsenal.

That was the 2009 FA Cup when Everton were beaten, and 19 league strikes out of 25 in total saw him pick up the Premier League's Golden Boot. The majority of those goals came before Christmas. He spent much of the second half of the campaign in a wider right-wing role that would characterise his next 18 months.

Nicolas managed to up his game further under the tutelage of Carlo Ancelotti, turning increasingly into the provider as he moved around the pitch, finding space to lay on goals for Drogba, though that was not to say Anelka didn't hit the net, chipping in with six goals in as many games when the Ivorian was away at the Africa Cup of Nations.

A second League and FA Cup Double in a fantastic career was the reward, Nicolas opening the scoring in an 8-0 win over Wigan that sealed the league, and he signed a one-year extension to his existing contract that will keep him at the club until 2012.

Goals continued to come at the start of 2010/11 with six in his first seven games. There was a dry spell of 10 matches without a goal before he notched four in five to help recover what had been poor pre-Christmas form for the team.

However once Fernando Torres made his debut at the beginning of February 2011, Nicolas only found the net in one more game that season and found himself frequently on the bench.

Pre-Chelsea
Nicolas began his career at Paris St-Germain, before making a move to Arsenal as a 17-year-old in early 1997.

At Highbury, the youngster demonstrated his explosive pace and finishing ability, helping the team to the Double in 1998, scoring in an FA Cup Final victory over Newcastle.

A year later, Real Madrid offered £23 million for his services, enough to tempt both Arsenal and Nicolas to accept the bid, and in his only season in Spain, he claimed the Champions League trophy, again playing in the final as Madrid ran out 3-0 winners over Valencia.
After just 12 months at the Bernabeu, Anelka returned to Paris with St-Germain, and in 18 months scored 18 goals before a loan spell at Liverpool under fellow Frenchman Gerard Houllier.

Although not an automatic choice at Anfield, Nicolas impressed with his work rate and creativity and Houllier later admitted letting him leave was an error. Instead came a permanent move to Manchester City.

At City, Anelka found the net regularly, notching up 46 goals during his two-and-a-half year stay. A penalty, both won and scored by him in October 2004 was responsible for Chelsea's only league defeat in our first championship-winning season under Jose Mourinho.

From Eastlands, Nicolas moved to Turkey with Fenerbahçe, where he was equally successful, averaging a goal in just over every three games during his spell there, and his form remained consistent at the Reebok Stadium.

In total, the 28-year-old netted 23 times in his 60 games for the Lancashire side, before signing for Chelsea in January 2008.

International
Nicolas was a key member of the France side that lifted the 2000 European Championship and part of the squad that played in Euro 2008, although he started just once and came on twice as France fell well short.

He may have been just a 19-year-old but fresh from winning the Double with Arsenal, it was surprising to see the lightning-quick forward not part of France's victorious World Cup 1998 squad, especially given the goal-shy nature of the strikers selected.

Even more surprising was that he was not chosen for either of the two World Cups that followed. Consequently, South Africa in 2010 was the first time on international football's biggest stage for a 31-year-old who was averaging a goal every five games in his 60-plus international matches.

However the tournament proved one to forget as he was sent home early following an argument with coach Raymond Domenech, shortly before France crashed out. He was subsequently banned for 18 matches, though he had already confirmed his international retirement.