More than a year on from his last significant job in football, Nicolas Anelka has found himself a new gig.
The former Arsenal and Chelsea striker has been off the radar, by and large, since leaving his post as player-manager of Indian Super League club Mumbai City in late 2015.
Perhaps we shouldn’t ever be surprised by the Frenchman’s career path, considering he played in seven different countries during a 20-year career, but few expected him to rock up at Roda JC Kerkrade.
The Dutch club are in the Eredivisie relegation zone, having avoided the drop by just five points last season, but have brought in Anelka as a consultant to work under new co-owner Aleksei Korotaev, a Swiss-Russian businessman.
Anelka left his last English club, West Bromwich Albion, in 2014 (photo credit: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
According to a statement from the club, Anelka will work with the club’s academy and also act as a consultant for the French market, helping the club run the rule over players from his home country.
“When I met Nicolas in Dubai…I immediately had the idea that I not only had to deal with a former football player, but also someone who has a very interesting idea about football in general,” technical director Ton Caanen said.
The club confirmed that Anelka had already played a part in helping secure the signing of Lyes Houri, a French midfielder who has joined on loan from Bastia for the remainder of the season.
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