Top 4 'fickle' footballers
Football at the highest level certainly has its perquisites. Salaries that put investment bankers to shame and lifestyles that match Donald Trump’s. Clubs pay big money for players who have proven talent, and even bigger money for marketable talent.
This is exactly why David Beckham’s transfer to Los Angeles Galaxy was funded by the entire MLS, as it was seen as a boost to the league, and not just to the club. Cristiano Ronaldo also falls in the same bracket, with the record £80 million transfer to his name.
That being said, every club knows that even though you can buy a player’s contract, you can never be sure of his loyalty. Footballers have now evolved from the working class that doubled up as part-time footballers to full time professionals who dedicate a good part of their life to better every facet.
Some of the biggest names in football today are also the most travelled players. Such movements cannot be attributed to one single generalised factor, as it boils down to individual preferences or potential risks. Let’s take a look at some such footballers, who are fabulous, yet fickle, when it comes to club loyalty.
Nicolas Anelka
Nicolas Anelka
The number one name that usually pops up when you say ‘fickle’. Incredibly talented, the Frenchman has seen a lot of club crests in his life.
Aged 34, he has been at 11 different clubs, in just over 17 years. This, obviously, excludes the year he spent as a youth player at Paris Saint Germain, a club he later returned to, after they paid £20 million to Real Madrid for a player who was theirs to begin with.
A rather temperamental player, Anelka has spent time at the crème de la crème of football institutions around the world. He has played for clubs in France, England, Italy, China, Turkey and Spain. This truly global player spent most of his time in England, representing five different clubs in the same league, the English Premier League.
He has repeatedly hit roadblocks with his managers, including Raymond Domenech, the French coach.
He rarely spent more than a year or two at most clubs, his longest term being at Chelsea, which is again only 4 seasons.
|
Year |
Club |
|
1996–1997 |
Paris Saint-Germain |
|
1997–1999 |
Arsenal |
|
1999–2000 |
Real Madrid |
|
2000–2002 |
Paris Saint-Germain |
|
2001–2002 |
? Liverpool (loan) |
|
2002–2005 |
Manchester City |
|
2005–2006 |
Fenerbahçe |
|
2006–2008 |
Bolton Wanderers |
|
2008–2012 |
Chelsea |
|
2012–2013 |
Shanghai Shenhua |
|
2013 |
? Juventus (5 month loan) |
|
2013– |
West Bromwich Albion |