I am not ready for a full-time managerial role: Nicolas Anelka

He (Carlo Ancelotti) is a good manager and I think I like him because he was speaking a lot with the players. If you look at the philosophy of football, when you play a good player, your team does good. But when you're at peace with your manager and have a good understanding, then you can do much more. It's something which I'll look to replicate at Mumbai City FC
—Nicolas Anelka, on his favourite manager

 Nicolas Anelka has been a club-hopper all his life. Over the past 20 years, he's played for top teams like Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Fenerbahçe, Liverpool and Juventus. And he's had his share of controversies too, including performing the 'quenelle' (anti-Semitic) gesture after scoring a goal for West Bromwich Albion in 2005. But the 36-year-old says that his focus is on the game.

"What happened in my life happened. You know, it doesn't matter what happened outside of football. My football is still there. I try my best on the field. I agree, I'm not perfect, but then again, nobody is," he told a group of journalists at a city hotel on Saturday.

The Frenchman is excited about his new role as player-manager of Mumbai City FC in the second edition of the Indian Super League (ISL) starting on October 3. But having been the manager of Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua in 2012, he says he's not yet ready for a full-time managerial role.

"I don't see myself as a full-time manager yet. I'm just doing this season and I have no plans to continue being a manager. It's a lot of work. In China, we started at eight in the morning and finished at five in the evening. I'm not prepared to do such work, but you never know. Right now, my plan is to finish as a player," he said.

Anelka is known to be a quiet, shy person. He doesn't like dealing with the media. But coaching brings with it a lot of media commitments. And that is something he's not really enthusiastic about. "I'm not looking forward to it (talking to the media). I'm a very quiet person. For me, the most important thing is what happens on the pitch. I don't like talking much to the press. But I've got to do it now because I'm coach. It's the only reason I'll do it. I'll do the minimum, so don't expect much."

He's not someone you'd normally associate with being a stern manager. Last year, during the ISL, he was constantly seen joking with teammates and hanging out with them at coffee joints in the city. So will he change his approach as a manager? "I'll be the same as last year. They'll see me as a player and not as a manger. I'll laugh with them, I'll be friendly with them. They will see me more as a player so they can come and talk to me, joke with me. Nothing will change. I'm not such a person that because I have a bigger role, I will change my personality. I'm nice with people when they are nice with me," he said.

Manager are known to be control freaks. Not Anelka. "The best quality of a manager is to find the right position for a particular player, to make that player comfortable. That's why I'm going to speak and ask everyone their favoured position. I will speak a lot with them. I think speaking a lot to them is the most important for a manager."

When asked who's his favourite manager, since he's played under quite a few, "Carlo Ancelotti" comes the reply. Anelka played under the Italian for two years at Chelsea (2009-10, 2010-11), winning the league in the first season. "He's (Ancelotti) a good manager and I think I like him because he was speaking a lot with the players. If you look at the philosophy of football, when you play a good player, your team does good. But when you're at peace with your manager and have a good understanding, then you can do much more. It's something which I'll look to replicate at Mumbai City FC."

While football fans in India are happy to see Anelka play in the ISL, one can only wonder if the man who won the English Premier League's Golden Boot in 2009 will return to Europe to play competitive football. He said that he may well be nearing retirement, but he's still at a top level where playing in concerned. "I'm 36 now. It's time to think that I'm more at the end of my career. But I can say that when I was in West Brom, I could see my level, and I can confidently say that I was better than everyone in attack."

But he says he's not going to concentrate on what could have been. He prefers to concentrate on the task at hand. "I'm really happy that the team have shown faith by getting me back. I had a fantastic time last season, but unfortunately we were unlucky and didn't finish where we wanted. This time however, we have a great squad. We have a great attacking force with Sunil Chhetri and Sony Norde. So that relieves me of pressure."

CAREER

Year Team Appearances Goals

1996–1997 Paris Saint-Germain 10 1
1997–1999 Arsenal 65 23
1999–2000 Real Madrid 19 2
2000–2002 Paris Saint-Germain 39 10
2001–2002 Liverpool (loan) 20 4
2002–2005 Manchester City 89 37
2005–2006 Fenerbahce 39 14
2006–2008 Bolton Wanderers 53 21
2008–2012 Chelsea 125 38
2012–2013 Shanghai Shenhua 22 3
2013 Juventus (loan) 2 0
2013–2014 West Bromwich Albion 12 2
2014 Mumbai City 7 2

ACCOLADES

Individual
PFA Team of the Year: 1998–99, 2008–09
Barclays Golden Boot: 2008–09
PFA Young Player of the Year: 1999
FA Cup Top Scorer: 2008–09

Team
UEFA Champions League: Real Madrid (2000)
English Premier League: Arsenal (1998), Chelsea (2010)
Serie A: Juventus (2013)
FA Cup: Arsenal (1998), Chelsea (2009, 2010)