Anelka: No More Sulking

Nicolas Anelka has broken the silence regarding his perception in the public eye, revealing the inner journey that occurred during his professional travels across the continent

The Incredible Sulk’ is a tag that has followed Nicolas Anelka all across Europe, like a parasite leeching on his public image.

It first latched onto him during his days at Arsenal, when he was a prodigious but unpredictable young talent, and has since clung to him on his travels to Spain, to France, to England again and to Turkey.

In his club-hopping attempts to shake off that parasitic pseudonym, the Frenchman has become one of the most travelled of European football’s very elite; and having amassed more than ₤85 million in transfer fees, he is certainly the most expensive.

Now at Chelsea after a ₤15 million January transfer from Bolton, it appears the 29-year-old may finally have shrugged the tag that has trailed him across the continent and affected his family and his own desire to play the game.

Ahead of tonight’s Champions League clash with former club Fenerbahce, Anelka points to his time in Turkey as a watershed in the revitalisation of his career.

Turning Point

“It was when I arrived in Istanbul that I realised how deeply I loved my sport and how much I was going to miss playing in a great European league like the Premier League,” he said.

“I’d never put the Turkish League down and say it was the wrong thing for me to do. But what hit me was how far I was from Europe’s great leagues.

“I was truly hungry to get back to England and play at the top of the Premier League. But the reflection which moving to Turkey inspired in me also made me realise I needed to change myself for my parents’ benefit.

“Now I reflect a little before I act or speak, whereas before . . . . I’ve tried to become a bit wiser.

“Previously I was someone who really didn’t give a toss for anything outside playing football. I never took time to analyse or calculate in a situation. I was just a live wire.

“I wouldn’t play ball with the media. I cared only about playing, scoring and winning. Yet when I was with Fenerbahce I began to realise my parents had been affected by the image of Nicolas Anelka they saw in the media.

“The truth is they just didn’t recognise their son in the guy who was portrayed in public and that bothered them.

“Now I make much more effort to make them proud of me. When I know that they are both proud of me, then that is when I feel happy and content.”

Same Old Stories

Anelka returned to the Premier League in 2006, making a big impression as his freakish goalscoring ability was coupled with the unfamiliar image of maturity and grace.

However, fame is a fickle friend. No sooner had Chelsea met Anelka’s stated desire to leave Bolton than the media pounced, dragging up all the old rumours and perceptions that the French international had thought he had finally left behind.

“Even now people still say that leaving Arsenal for Madrid was decided by my brothers, which is just not true,” said Anelka.

“I’ve always done only what I want to do and it’s always me who decides my life. I only ever wanted to be a great footballer. And because I wouldn’t play ball with the media, people mistook that for arrogance. It got so bad I often just wanted to chuck it all in and quit.”

Zizou Respect

Anelka also registered his sympathy for compatriot Zinedine Zidane, whose reputation was murdered by the press after his infamous head-butt on Italy’s Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final in Germany, claiming that in Zizou’s actions he recognised a kindred spirit.

“I’d compare myself with Zinedine Zidane in some ways,” he said. “He’s just a humble guy who happened to be the best and never wanted to be a star.

“I’m a boy from the tough streets of Paris, so I saw what he did in the World Cup final in Germany and it made me smile. I even, in fact, respected Zizou a little more than before.

“I recognised it as the typical reaction of a guy who has had to grow up on the mean streets.”

European Glory

It has been eight years since Anelka earned his only Champions League winner’s medal with Real Madrid. But now he believes the time is ripe for a second to adorn his trophy case, insisting that Chelsea have what it takes to go all the way Europe.

“I am lucky to be at Chelsea, because I know we will win a lot of trophies,” he said. “It is good to be at this level and, if we can win, it will be good for me.

“Chelsea are like Real Madrid. It’s a big club with a big squad and big players. I think we have the quality to win this title. I can’t say we will win it but we have the qualities and will try.”

Mike Maguire