| Nicolas Anelka | |
|---|---|
| |
| Personal information | |
| Date of Birth |
14 March 1979 |
| Place of Birth |
Le Chesnay, France |
| Height |
1.85 m (6'1") |
| Position |
Striker |
| Liverpool statistics | |
| Years |
2001–2002 (loan) |
| Appearances |
22 |
| Goals |
5 |
Nicolas Sébastien Anelka (born 14 March 1979) is a French international footballer who played for Liverpool on loan from 2001-2002 as a striker.
Liverpool career[]
Anelka signed for Liverpool on loan from Paris Saint-Germain on 22 December 2001 until the end of the 2001-02 season. Upon signing, the Frenchman said "The main attraction was the trophies that Liverpool won last season and their past achievements impressed me." After just two days at the club he even expressed his desire to sign permanently for the club saying "At the moment I am only here on loan, but I am very interested in staying here."
His debut came on 26 December 2001 in a 2-1 win against Aston Villa, coming on as a 68th minute substitute for Jari Litmanen. He scored his first goal for the club in a 3-0 win over Birmingham City in the FA Cup third round tie on 5 January 2002. He scored his first league goal for Liverpool in the Merseyside Derby on 23 February 2002 in a 1-1 draw. Trailing 1-0 at home to Everton, Liverpool's sustained pressure eventually paid off through Anelka, who scored a 72nd minute goal after a Michael Owen dummy.
Anelka's loan spell came to a close at the end of the season; he amassed a total of 22 appearances in all competitions, scoring five goals. Despite the striker's wish to stay at the club, Gerard Houllier decided against it. Even after signing for Manchester City, Anelka reiterated his desires to sign permanently for Liverpool saying "I did well, they played the game I was looking for and the atmosphere was good. For me there was no question, but obviously that did not suit Mr Houllier."
Honours[]
Individual[]
Stats[]
| Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |
| 2001-02 | 20 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 5 |
| Total | 20 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 5 |
External links[]
- Nicolas Anelka career stats at Soccerbase
- Nicolas Anelka player profile at LFCHistory.net