Nicolas Anelka

A classy and quick forward with a nomadic career spanning top European clubs.

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Nicolas Sébastien Anelka (born 14 March 1979) is a French professional football manager and former player who played as a forward. As a player, he regularly featured in his country's national team, often scoring at crucial moments. Known for his ability to both score and assist goals, he has been described as a classy and quick player, with good aerial ability, technique, shooting, and movement off the ball, and was capable of playing both as a main striker and as a second striker.

Quick Facts

Full name: Nicolas Sébastien Anelka
Born: 14 March 1979
Birthplace: Le Chesnay, Yvelines, France
Height: 1.85 m / 6 ft 1 in
Position: Forward

Lore & Background

Anelka began his career at Paris Saint-Germain as a youth player at age 16. He moved to Arsenal in February 1997 for £500,000. At Arsenal, he won the 1997–98 Premier League and FA Cup double, became a first team regular, and won the PFA Young Player of the Year Award the following season. He moved to Real Madrid for £22.3 million in 1999, winning the 1999–2000 UEFA Champions League.

He returned to PSG in July 2000 for £20 million. He moved on loan to Liverpool in January 2002 before joining Manchester City for £13 million at the start of the 2002–03 season. After three seasons at Manchester City, he moved to Fenerbahçe for two seasons, then to Bolton Wanderers for £7 million and £8 million respectively. He transferred to Chelsea for £15 million in January 2008, winning one Premier League title, two FA Cup trophies, and playing in the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League final.

In 2009, he won the Premier League Golden Boot award as the league's top goalscorer. After leaving Chelsea in 2012, he had brief stints at Shanghai Shenhua, Juventus, West Bromwich Albion, and Mumbai City. He played 69 times for France, winning UEFA Euro 2000 and the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup. He was excluded from the 2010 World Cup for comments directed at coach Raymond Domenech and did not play again for the national team.

Reader's Guide

Anelka converted to Islam in 2004, taking the name Abdul-Salam Bilal. He performed the quenelle hand gesture while playing for West Bromwich Albion in 2013, which led to a five-match ban from the FA, though the FA found he was not antisemitic. In 2020, he said the quenelle was a protest against his former manager Steve Clarke. He is the subject of the 2020 Netflix documentary Anelka: Misunderstood.

Did You Know?

Anelka acted in the 2002 film Le Boulet as a footballer named Nicolas.
He has two sons, Kais (born 2008) and Kahil (born 2010), with his wife Barbara Tausia.
His childhood friends include actors Omar Sy and Jamel Debbouze.
He placed 29th in Arsenal's compilation of the 50 Greatest Gunners of all-time.