Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka
Chelsea and France star Nicolas Anelka has given Kick It Out an exclusive interview ahead of the forthcoming One Game, One Community weeks of action.
Anelka is just one of a host of stars featured in this year's 'One Game, One Community' publication.
You have played for the likes of Paris St Germain, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Fenerbahce, and a few English Premier League sides. How do you adapt to the different cultures and make that country your home?
It depends really. It is very difficult because every time you have to change the lifestyle and the mentality changes when you move to a new club even if it is in the same country so it is even more difficult when it is in another country.
It is like starting a new school again. The people who play and work at the club make it easier for you.
Although football without black players is now unimaginable, there are still far too few Asian players, why do you think that is?
I don’t know, but I certainly think it will come. There never used to be many black players in the game and now there are a lot of very good black players so I think that in the future Asians will play a bigger part in football.
How do you think football helps to bring communities together?
In football there are lots of origins, cultures, religions and nobody feels left out or different. We are all together in a team, we all play together and we are all friends even if we don’t have the same culture or come from different countries, we all want to play and enjoy football.
I think the supporters see that and feel part of the same family, especially in England where you feel very welcome here in the country. It makes footballers feel at ease on the pitch.
Which individuals do you think have had the most profound effect on your career?
Managers and staff around me at the clubs have had the biggest effect on me, because football is my life and when I am happy on the pitch and in my football then I am happy off the field as well.
What is the best piece of advice that anyone has ever given you about your football career?
To enjoy my football. Because after everything, football is only a game and you have to enjoy your life. It is like work, people go to work every day and you must enjoy it. A football career may only last about 10 or 15 years in your life so it is very important to enjoy it.
Give us an idea of the responsibilities associated with being such an influential role model.
From my personal point of view I am a very simple person, I try to do my best on the pitch and to do nothing wrong both on and off the pitch and that is the best way to be. And after football you can do whatever you want. It’s really about the way you act out on the pitch.
What advice would you give to any youngster today who is trying to break into a professional sport?
To work very hard, to believe in yourself and try to live your dream. There are a lot of youngsters who want to be footballers but there are a lot of children that don’t make it. I think it is very difficult but if your education is good and you do all that you have to do in life, work hard and do everything the best way that you can then why not?
Does football affect your faith or your faith affect your football in anyway?
I am a Muslim and I believe in god like a lot of other footballers. As a footballer, we often train in the morning and then we are free in the afternoon to do what we want to do and act like normal people. This is when I have time to relax and to do my prayers.
You have recently become a father for the first time and had a little boy, would you encourage him to follow in your footsteps when he is older?
I have not really thought about it. A lot of children want to do the same as their fathers and when he is older if he sees me play football then maybe he will want to play too. If he chooses to play football then I will support him.
What do you hope to achieve this season, both with Chelsea and on a personal level?
Well I play for a very big club and everyone here wants to win everything. Players, staff, the Chairman and the Manager all want to win as much as we can so that is our aim. Personally I never set myself targets as I never know what is going to happen. I will try to do my best on the pitch and we will see what happens.
An abridged version of this interview appears in this year's One Game, One Community publication, which can be viewed in full by clicking here.
