Transfer Centre

Emmanuel Adebayor wants Premier League return

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 19 January 2017

Former Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor wants a return to the Premier League and insists that he can still perform at the top level.

Former Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor has expressed his desire to return to the Premier League.

The 32-year-old has been without a club since leaving Crystal Palace at the end of last season, with his time at Selhurst Park yielding just one goal from 15 appearances.

However, he is currently captaining Togo at the Africa Cup of Nations and is confident that he has plenty more to offer at the highest level.

"To be honest with you, I'm feeling even better than when I was on top of my game. I think people can see I am ready, that I am still a footballer. Those who know me will not be surprised, even some of my old Tottenham teammates. I had hardly played for months under Andre Villas-Boas and then, when Tim Sherwood took over on the Monday, I started against West Ham on the Wednesday was man of the match and scored. It's kind of normal and convinces me that I've got five or six years left in me, easily," he told The Guardian.

"I love England, love the Premier League and want to find a way to get back there. I want to hit the top level again, that's for sure. If not, I just want to play football and have fun, so if I get an offer somewhere then I'll go. I have a bad reputation in England and I don't know why. Maybe it's something that has just followed me.

"But one thing I always say is that 90% of the people I've played with would say I'm an amazing guy, a great teammate. Other people, those who work on the gate at every stadium I've played at, will tell you I am a humble guy and a nice person. But the press will say what they want, and in my career I've been unfortunate enough to have a lot of negativity.

"Of course I'm watching the Premier League and I'll think: 'Wow, I could have scored that goal,' 'Oh, I could have missed that' or 'Wow, I've missed this atmosphere'. That's normal, it's where I've been for nine or 10 years and you miss it."

Adebayor has scored 97 goals in 242 Premier League games.