Emmanuel Adebayor went from villain to hero in the space of 24 hours at Arsenal – before tarnishing his legacy after joining Manchester City.
The 41-year-old quickly became a fan favourite with Gooners after joining from Monaco in a £3million deal in January 2006.
Adebayor played second fiddle behind Thierry Henry up top, before being entrusted by Arsene Wenger as the man to lead the line in 2007 following the French forward’s move to Barcelona.
His first season as the starting striker saw him fire in 30 goals in all competitions – leading to interest from AC Milan and Barcelona.
His agent Vincenzo Morabito fuelled rumours that an exit was on the cards in the 2008 summer transfer window, as he told Mediaset: “With all respect to Arsenal, [Adebayor] would be very happy to play for the Rossoneri.”
Adebayor then made himself public enemy number one in the eyes of Arsenal fans after going public in his quest to leave the club.
Speaking ahead of pre-season training, the Togo icon remarked: “I have a chance of playing with one of the biggest clubs in the world.
Before adding: “We will have to meet with the manager before anything can be decided. A lot of teams want me to play for them. It will not be a difficult decision.
“I’m just going to sit down with my agent and with my family and decide what is good for my career.”
By the time the Emirates Cup rolled around in August, Adebayor was still on Arsenal’s books after the club refused to sanction his departure.
As Adebayor came on for the second half in the 1-0 defeat to Juventus, Arsenal fans showed their anger towards the player by loudly booing him.
But just a day later, he found himself back in the good books of supporters thanks to a gesture after firing Arsenal to a 1-0 win over Real Madrid.
A foul from Michel Salgado on Robin van Persie presented Adebayor with the chance to break the deadlock from the penalty spot in the 49th minute.
And Adebayor did so emphatically – sidefooting into the top right corner past the outstretched arms of Jerzy Dudek.
Attempting to win back the support from his once adoring fans, the striker quickly kissed the badge – and he once again had the Arsenal faithful in the palm of his hand.
Speaking after the match about the gesture, Adebayor said: “No matter what you are, no matter what you have done, some of the fans will love you and some of the fans will hate you.
“But I hope I’m in a good situation. Most of the fans love me and that’s the most important thing. For me, what happened this summer is over.”
He also brazenly hinted that Arsenal fans were misinformed over his situation, insisting they all fell for paper talk – despite openly commenting on his desire to leave.
Insisting that a possible exit was invented by the media, the forward remarked: “I’m very happy. When you net 30 goals in a season, a lot of clubs come looking for you.
“But this club is one of the biggest in the world and I have a big chance to have a good career at this club.
“When there is a lot of speculation they [the fans] believe what they read in the newspapers. The most important thing is to keep on enjoying your football.”
Having his say on Adebayor’s show of affection for the Gunners, Wenger simply stated: “Do I like people kissing their badge? Why not? If it is sincere and real, then yes.”
Two weeks later and Adebayor seemed to have ended any doubt over his long-term future in north London by penning a new contract.
However, the following year he was back to being a hated figure in the eyes of fans – before one act cemented himself as a club enemy for life.
In 2009, Adebayor linked up with Manchester City in a £25million deal – with fans claiming he opted to to join one of Arsenal’s rivals instead of moving abroad for financial reasons.
At the time, the Citizens were seen as a direct top four rival to Arsenal as the Etihad outfit splashed the cash in their quest to assemble a squad capable of qualifying for the Champions League.
In the fourth game of the season, Arsenal lost 4-2 to City – with Adebayor putting the hosts 3-1 ahead with a brilliant header.
Then came one of the most infamous moments in Premier League history as the player ran the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of the away end.
A knee-slide in front of fuming fans led to Adebayor being fined £25,000 by the FA as well as being slapped with a two-game ban.
Speaking to talkSPORT in 2023, Adebayor insisted he doesn’t regret his actions having insisted fans were disrespecting his parents in a distasteful chant aimed at him.
Adebayor further rubbed salt in the wounds of Arsenal fans by scoring against them on two more occasions in the colours of their bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Once adored by the Arsenal faithful, he is now one of their most despised former stars.
And had Adebayor not kissed the badge against Real Madrid, supporters may not have been so heartbroken over his exit.
