Nicolas Anelka facts for kids
Anelka playing for Chelsea in 2010
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Nicolas Sébastien Anelka | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 14 March 1979 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Le Chesnay, France | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Forward | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1983–1993 | Trappes Saint-Quentin | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1995 | Clairefontaine | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1996 | Paris Saint-Germain | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | Paris Saint-Germain | 10 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1999 | Arsenal | 65 | (23) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | Real Madrid | 19 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2002 | Paris Saint-Germain | 39 | (14) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2002 | → Liverpool (loan) | 20 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2005 | Manchester City | 89 | (37) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Fenerbahçe | 39 | (14) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2008 | Bolton Wanderers | 53 | (21) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2012 | Chelsea | 125 | (38) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Shanghai Shenhua | 22 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | → Juventus (loan) | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | West Bromwich Albion | 12 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Mumbai City | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 508 | (157) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997 | France U20 | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2010 | France | 69 | (14) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | Mumbai City | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Nicolas Sébastien Anelka (born 14 March 1979) is a French professional football manager and former player. He played as a forward. Anelka was known for being a fast and skillful player. He could score goals and help his teammates score too. He played for many top clubs and for the French national team.
Anelka started his career at Paris Saint-Germain. He then moved to Arsenal in England. At Arsenal, he helped the team win the Premier League and the FA Cup in 1998. He was even named the PFA Young Player of the Year in 1999. Later, he joined Real Madrid for a big transfer fee. He won the UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid.
After playing for Real Madrid, Anelka returned to Paris Saint-Germain. He also played for several other English clubs, including Liverpool, Manchester City, Bolton Wanderers, and Chelsea. At Chelsea, he won another Premier League title and two FA Cups. He was also the top goalscorer in the Premier League in 2009. Anelka played in China, Italy, and India before he retired.
For his country, Anelka played 69 times for France. He won the UEFA Euro 2000 and the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup. He also played in the Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup.
Contents
About Nicolas Anelka
Nicolas Anelka was born in Le Chesnay, France. His parents moved there from Martinique. He grew up in Trappes, near Paris. Some of his childhood friends became famous actors.
Anelka is married to Barbara Tausia, who is a choreographer. They have two sons, Kais and Kahil. Anelka even acted in a movie called Le Boulet in 2002. He has said he would like to work in films after football.
In 2004, Anelka converted to Islam and took the name "Abdul-Salam Bilal". He has spoken about how his faith influenced him.
Playing Career Highlights
Anelka played for many different football clubs. He was known for moving between teams often.
Starting at Paris Saint-Germain
Anelka started his football journey at Paris Saint-Germain when he was just 16 years old. He was a youth player there.
Success at Arsenal
In 1997, when he was 17, Anelka joined Premier League club Arsenal. He quickly became an important player. In the 1997–98 season, he helped Arsenal win both the Premier League title and the FA Cup. He even scored a goal in the FA Cup final!
The next season, Anelka was Arsenal's top scorer with 17 goals. He was named the PFA Young Player of the Year. However, he decided to leave Arsenal in 1999. He later said he wished he had stayed longer at the club he loved. He played 90 games for Arsenal and scored 28 goals.
Time at Real Madrid
In 1999, Anelka moved to Real Madrid in Spain. It was a very expensive transfer. It took him some time to score his first goal for the club. But he soon started scoring important goals.
He scored in the Champions League semi-final. Real Madrid then won the Champions League final against Valencia. Anelka started in that final game.
Back to Paris Saint-Germain
Anelka returned to Paris Saint-Germain in 2000. He was even made captain for a short time. The team played in the Champions League.
Loan to Liverpool
In 2001, Anelka joined Liverpool on a short loan. He helped Liverpool finish second in the Premier League. He scored goals against teams like Everton and Blackburn Rovers.
Playing for Manchester City
Anelka joined Manchester City in 2002. He was the club's top scorer in his first season. He scored a goal in the last ever Manchester Derby at Maine Road. In his second season, he was again the top scorer with 25 goals.
Moving to Fenerbahçe
In 2005, Anelka moved to Fenerbahçe in Turkey. He helped them win the Süper Lig title in 2005. He also played for them in European competitions.
Joining Bolton Wanderers
Anelka returned to England in 2006 to play for Bolton Wanderers. He was their top scorer in the 2006–07 season with eleven goals.
Years at Chelsea
In 2008, Anelka joined Chelsea. He scored his first goal for Chelsea in the FA Cup. He played in the 2008 Champions League final.
In the 2008–09 season, Anelka had a great start. He scored his first hat-trick for Chelsea against Sunderland. He ended the season as the top goalscorer in the Premier League, winning the Premier League Golden Boot award with 19 goals.
In the 2009–10 season, Anelka continued to score important goals. He helped Chelsea win their third Premier League title. He also won the FA Cup with Chelsea twice. He scored 59 goals in 184 games for Chelsea.
Adventures Abroad
After Chelsea, Anelka moved to Shanghai Shenhua in China in 2012. He even helped with coaching there. Later, his former Chelsea teammate Didier Drogba joined him in Shanghai.
Loan to Juventus
In 2013, Anelka joined Juventus in Italy on a short loan. He helped the club win the league title.
Back to England with West Brom
Anelka returned to the Premier League in 2013, joining West Bromwich Albion. He took some time off due to a personal matter but then returned to the team. He scored his first goals for them in December 2013.
Playing in India
In 2014, Anelka joined Mumbai City in the new Indian Super League. He played seven matches for them. In 2015, he returned to Mumbai City as a player-manager.
International Career
Anelka played for the French national team. He made his senior debut in 1998. He helped France win UEFA Euro 2000 and the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup.
He played in the Euro 2008. He also played a key role in France qualifying for the 2010 World Cup.
During the 2010 World Cup, Anelka had a disagreement with the coach. He was sent home from the tournament. After this, he did not play for the national team again. He later said he had already decided to retire from international football.
Life After Playing
After retiring as a player, Anelka started working in football management and coaching. In 2017, he joined the staff at Roda JC in the Netherlands. In 2018, he became a coach for young forwards at Lille. In 2021, he became the sports director for Hyères FC.
Honours and Awards
Nicolas Anelka won many trophies and awards during his career.
Arsenal
- Premier League: 1997–98
- FA Cup: 1997–98
- FA Charity Shield: 1998
Real Madrid
- UEFA Champions League: 1999–2000
Paris Saint-Germain
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2001
Fenerbahçe
- Süper Lig: 2004–05
Chelsea
- Premier League: 2009–10
- FA Cup: 2008–09, 2009–10
- FA Community Shield: 2009
- Football League Cup runner-up: 2007–08
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2007–08
Juventus
- Serie A: 2012–13
France U18
- UEFA European Under-18 Championship: 1997
France
- UEFA European Championship: 2000
- FIFA Confederations Cup: 2001
Individual Awards
- Division 1 Rookie of the Year: 1998
- Premier League Player of the Month: February 1999, November 2008
- PFA Young Player of the Year: 1998–99
- PFA Team of the Year: 1998–99 Premier League, 2008–09 Premier League
- Premier League Golden Boot: 2008–09
See also
In Spanish: Nicolas Anelka para niños
