(Football news) Former Arsenal and Manchester City player Emmanuel Adebayor has retired from football at the age of 39. The ex-Togo international has a great Premier League CV as he has also represented Tottenham and Crystal Palace over the course of his career. Adebayor’s career also had a short spell at Real Madrid and then in the twilight of his career he moved to Turkey before he finished his playing days back in his homeland.
Adebayor announced he was hanging up his boots with a video on Instagram in which he signed a piece of paper with the message saying ‘Thanks for the blessings!!!’. The small video contained arguably the most contentious goal in Premier League history which saw Adebayor score for Manchester City against Arsenal, as went on to run the entire length of the field to celebrate in front of the Arsenal fans.
The animosity between Adebayor and Arsenal still exists as this dates back to 2009 when it was expected that after two prolific seasons for Arsenal, he was ready to spearhead a new-look attack and fully take the responsibility of stepping into the big void left by Thierry Henry. Much to Arsene Wenger’s disappointment, Adebayor was tempted by a huge offer at the Etihad Stadium and he ditched the Gunners for Manchester City.
The former Togo international forward as he went on to score 32 goals in 85 games for his country, he also finished his career in his homeland at Semassi. In the Premier League only three African players have scored more Premier League goals than Adebayor’s 97 goals as Chelsea’s Didier Drogba (104) and former Liverpool and Southampton winger Sadio Mane (111) and Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah (131) have more than that
“SEA, from the highs to the lows, my career as a professional athlete has been an incredible journey,” read that caption that accompanied Adebayor’s farewell video. “Thank you to my fans for being there every step of the way. I’m feeling so grateful for everything, and excited for what’s to come!’ ‘I had a meeting with Arsene Wenger in his office when he told me I had to leave because he doesn’t see my future anymore in Arsenal. I have to move on in my life,” Adebayor told TRT World back in 2018.
‘I was like ‘I’m going to stay.’ He was like ‘no there is not even a fight organised. We are not going to organise any fight for you. You move out or you stay here and don’t play any games.’‘So I didn’t have any other choice than joining Man City, which I was very happy to join. ‘And the next day when I joined Manchester City I saw him doing a press conference in London saying that I wanted to leave because the money was big and everything, and since that day that is where the hate for Arsenal came from.
‘Not the fans because the fans are the first. English fans to sing my name in London. Even today when I watch them play I want them to win but at the same time I want them to lose because the anger in me is too big.’
Also read: Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe get extensions for Manchester United takeover bid
