Complete list of all clubs Nicolas Anelka played: Stats
Nicolas Anelka is a man who has been surrounded by controversies and rumours all his career. Anelka is a player who has had a decorated career as he won many big titles during his days. One thing that Anelka is known for is the number of clubs he has played in his career. Despite being under the radar of his critics and media he managed to keep his head up and continue smoothly throughout his career.
There are many things that people don’t know about Anelka. Let us take a look at the career of this great French player.
1: PSG (1995-1997)
It all started at Paris Saint Germain for Nicolas Anelka. The player managed to get into the professional team but his time in Paris was very short as he only played 10 games and decided to sign for Arsenal. PSG really helped Anelka to pave his way for a glorious career.
2: Arsenal (1997-1999)
Back in those days, Arsene Wenger was the manager of Arsenal. He was looking for young and promising talents like Anelka. He signed for them in 1997 at the age of 17. In a very short time, he became a regular starter and in the following season, he also won the PFA young player of the year award. He stayed with Arsenal until 1999 when he decided to move to Madrid. The player scored 28 goals and also won the FA cup and English Super Cup with Arsenal.
We can also say Arsenal was one of the successful clubs that he played for in his career
#ThrowbackThursday Dennis Bergkamp, Ian Wright, Nic Anelka and Patrick Vieira. Arsenal Double winning trophy parade, Islington, 17th May 1998. pic.twitter.com/7Wal4wwX8P
— Stuart MacFarlane 🔆 (@Stuart_PhotoAFC) December 24, 2020
3: Real Madrid (1999-2000)
The player had big ambitions when he decided to move to Real Madrid. Unfortunately, fate had something else decided for the player. Anelka was struggling to score in the La Liga for the first five months. It was clear that he was struggling to fit into the system of Real Madrid and it was a big problem for him and the team.
As a result of his poor performance, he had to return to Paris. The best part about his move to Real Madrid is that he won the Champions League with them as he was a part of the team.
Nicholas Anelka at Real Madrid 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/ZCKqlfg0BI
— Classic Football Shirts (@classicshirts) June 5, 2022
4: PSG (2000-2002)
The second interval of Anelka was very promising for all the fans and supporters of Paris Saint Germain. It started well but after time he developed problems with his manager. The productivity of the team was also in decline and it was clear that this move is not benefitting the team.
It was certain that having a player like him with a huge wage bill as compared to other players might not be good for the club and so he was sent on loan back to England.
5: Liverpool (loan)
The debut of Anelka in the Premier League was much better than his performance in Spain. He was on loan for five months and it went well for him but unfortunately, the coach did not have him in the future plans. The player had to move back after the end of the loan.
10: Shanghai Shenhua (2012-2013)
The French forward knew that the good form that he is experiencing is diminishing with age. He felt the need to move into the Chinese league where he also received £200,000 per week. The player struggled to fit into the new system and was not the perfect piece for this team. It was not looking good for him and he was loaned to Juventus for 5 months.
Thierry Henry and Nicolas Anelka. Pre match Arsenal v Liverpool, January 2002. #TH14 #arsenal pic.twitter.com/5edTf3wtPx
— Stuart MacFarlane 🔆 (@Stuart_PhotoAFC) April 14, 2020
6: Manchester City (2002-2005)
The French player knew that Premier League is the better option for him and so he pursued a move to Manchester City. The club decided to sign him for a record transfer fee of 13 million euros and it all paid off. In the very first season, Anelka scored 14 goals and ended up as the top scorer of Manchester City. We can also say that he was taking revenge on the previous teams. He had his own history with Arsenal and Liverpool, he scored against all of his old teams while his time at Manchester City.
The player scored a total of 45 goals for Manchester City in his career. Sadly he did not win any titles but his time at Manchester City helped him make a name for himself in the football world.
😱 Manchester City haven't won a Premier League game at Anfield since 2003, when a Nicolas Anelka brace secured a 2-1 win #LIVMCI pic.twitter.com/52rC0si8fB
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) February 5, 2021
7: Fenerbahce (2005-2006)
In an unexpected move by Anelka as he decided to move to Turkey. It went in his favour and he helped Fenerbahce win the Turkish League. The play knew that if he wants to be among the best he has to return to the Premier League and so he did.
8: Bolton Wanderers (2006-2008)
The return of Anelka to the Premier League happened in the face of Bolton Wanderers. He scored a total of 23 goals which is more than he scored in Paris for PSG. The player gave his best but could not win anything with Bolton.
9: Chelsea (2008-2012)
The main highlight of his career comes during his time with Chelsea. In 2008 in a shocking move, Chelsea decides to sign him for a fee of 15M Euros. As usual, it was a slow start for Anelka in this new team. He was walking on thin ice after his penalty was saved by Manchester United in the Champions League final. The saved penalty cost Chelsea a Champions League. It looked like it was over for him but he was determined to prove himself.
The player went on a goalscoring spree in the following season where he also secured the ‘Golden Boot’ to his name. During his time in Chelsea, he won the Premier League, 2x FA Cup and 2x English Super Cup. It was a good time for Anelka as he finally won all the big titles in England.
Nicolas Anelka is one of our most underrated signings.
— Tom Overend (@tovers98) May 22, 2021
At Chelsea he won the:
• Golden Boot 👢
• Premier League 🏆
• FA Cups 🏆🏆🏆
• Champions League 🏆
The perfect second striker we needed pic.twitter.com/r2DAE61wf7
11: Juventus (loan)
It was a shocking move by Juventus to sign the player on loan from the Chinese Club. This move got the fans of Anelka excited again as he was back in Europe. Unfortunately, it went worse for him in Italy as he just got to play 3 matches where he did not score or assist for Juventus.
The bright side about this move is that Juventus won the Serie A in the same season and he received the winner’s medal for being a part of the team.
12: West Brom (2013-2014)
The player signed for West Brom on a free, it looked like it was the last destination for Anelka in the Premier League and his career. The player knew he was not as good as they used to be back in his days but he still tried to provide the team with the best he can. After a few months, he was again in the news for a controversial celebration after scoring for them. As a result of this action, he was fined £80,000 and banned for 5 games. Although the player did not have the intention of making an offensive celebration but had to face the consequences.
Surrounded by controversies and getting into problems with his own team he had to leave the club.
Never forget that Nicklas Bendtner and Nicolas Anelka picked up a trophy with #Juventus 🏆😅 pic.twitter.com/YP3JOwSx0I
— GiveMeSport (@GiveMeSport) April 2, 2021
13: Mumbai City FC (2014-2016)
In a shocking move, he signed for the I League team Mumbai City FC and moved to India. The player managed to stay there for two seasons before officially retiring from football. In his time in Mumbai, he did not win anything and only scored 2 goals in 13 games.
£120m in transfer fees & 11 clubs later...
— bet365 (@bet365) July 3, 2015
Nicolas Anelka has been appointed player-manager at Mumbai City FC. pic.twitter.com/k6RB7MGW3A
France (1998-2010)
The player was an integral part of the French team in his prime. He won the Euros and the Confederation Cup with France. However, it did not end well for him as his career with France ended in controversy. Anelka was sent back from the squad during the World Cup 2010 after being involved in a controversy with the manager. According to reports he was accused of abusing the manager and consequently he had to face an 18-match ban.
Henry, Pires, Vieira, Trezeguet, Anelka and Wiltord celebrate France's Euro 2000 win. Trezeguet won the game with a golden goal.
— Football Remind (@FootballRemind) July 4, 2022
A phenomenal France side 🇫🇷 👏 pic.twitter.com/ClfzNpAIck
The career of Nicolas Anelka has been surrounded by weird controversies and rumours of bad behaviour by the player. He was a tough guy who knew that he is a good striker and that he can help the team. It’s not always important for the player to have good relations with everyone and sometimes there is a chance he may not have been wrong. But imagine how great his career would have been involved in all these controversies. The player would’ve retired as the best striker of his generation in the Premier League.
What is Nicolas Anelka doing in 2022?
The retired player is the youth manager of Lille in 2022. He is expected to pave his way to becoming a manager in the near future.
What is the net worth of Nicolas Anelka in 2022?
The net worth of Nicolas Anelka is around $22M in 2022.
How many total clubs did Nicolas Anelka play in his career?
The French striker is known for his time in England for playing with many English clubs in his career. In his career, Nicolas Anelka has played with 12 different clubs in total.
