Arsenal Icon Emmanuel Adebayor retires from football

Emmanuel Adebayor celebrates in Arsenal colours | Imago

Arsenal Icon Emmanuel Adebayor retires from football

Ayoola Kelechi 19:21 - 21.03.2023

More Premier League goals than Tevez, van Nistelrooy, and Berbatov, Adebayor will be remembered as a great

Former Arsenal, Real Madrid, and Manchester City forward Emmanuel Adebayor has announced his retirement from football at the age of 39. 

Adebayor retires after spell with Togolese club

Adebayor announced his decision to walk away from football after a 22-year career that ended at Togolese club AC Semassi. 

Adebyaor had an elite journey-man career that saw him play for Metz and Monaco in France, Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham, and Crystal Palace in England, Olimpia in Paraguay, Istanbul Başakşehir and Kayserispor, and finally Semassi in Togo. 

The gangly forward also managed a drama-filled international career that saw him play 88 times for Togo, scoring 32 times, and helping his country reach its first and so far only FIFA World Cup in 2006. 

A largely controversial figure during his playing days, Adebayor threatened to quit the national team twice, including after the team bus was attacked ahead of the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations. Still, he returned to the Togolese team both times. 

The duality of Emmanuel Adebayor

He will also be remembered for his infamous celebration for Manchester City against Arsenal which earned him a suspension, after running the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of the Gunners’ fans. 

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Adebayor was not just a controversial figure but also one of the best African strikers of his generation. 

In addition to winning the 2009 African Player of the Year award, Adebayor also left the Premier League as the fourth-highest goal-scoring African player in the league’s history. 

He was also the highest goalscorer in the history of the North London Derby for a while with 10 goals before Harry Kane eclipsed him. 

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He also ranks 35th in the Premier League’s all-time top scorers list, ahead of players like Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Dimitar Berbatov, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Dennis Bergkamp, Fernando Torres, and Carlos Tevez.