Over the years, Real Madrid have made some unexpected signings. One of them was certainly their loan deal for Emmanuel Adebayor in January of 2011, till the end of that campaign. It was a move that not many would have seen coming, and was made during Jose Mourinho’s time as the manager of the club.
While the arrival of Adebayor might not have been a glamourous one, especially after his struggles at Manchester City. But it certainly proved to be an effective loan signing. According to stats from Transfermarkt, he scored 8 goals in 22 appearances for the club while playing 1117 minutes of football in total.
Adebayor would win the Copa del Rey at Real Madrid. Interestingly, it proved to be the only major trophy that he won in his career.
That was more than a decade ago. And now, the Togo international is finally saying goodbye to the game. As reported by The Athletic, Adebayor has announced his retirement from football.
Former Real Madrid striker announces his retirement
It is easy to forget how good Adebayor was in his prime. He had a 30-goal season for Arsenal. And was named the African Player of the Year in 2008 as well.
For all his qualities as a player, he will also be remembered for the controversies as well. The biggest was of course his over the top celebrations after scoring for Manchester City against his former club, Arsenal. He also did not endear himself to the supporters of his former club when he ended up joining their eternal rivals, Tottenham Hotspur.
For a player who pulled on the shirts of clubs like Real Madrid, Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, AS Monaco, Crystal Palace and more, it is a bit of a surprise that his last stint before retiring was at Togolese side, AC Semassi.