Adebayor: I didn't want to leave Gunners

Posted Sunday, February 28, 2010 by PA

Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor knows his return to the Emirates will be "hell" but claims he never wanted to leave Arsenal.

Adebayor, who spent three-and-a-half years in North London before a summer move to Eastlands, caused controversy when he faced his former team for the first time in September, running the entire length of the pitch to celebrate a goal in front of the Arsenal fans. The Togo international was also found guilty of violent conduct after an incident involving former team-mate Robin van Persie and the 26-year-old will be in for a torrid reception on his return to his old stomping ground on April 24.

"It will be 90 minutes of hell," he told French television channel Canal Plus. "The fans will boo me, insult me, because, until now, they haven't understood why I left. I'm the bad guy."

He added: "I shouldn't have done that (the celebration) but we are all human. I made a mistake, but who doesn't?"

Adebayor's departure to City was shrouded in mystery with reports of dressing room bust-ups, while Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has always maintained the forward was offloaded after he asked to leave.

However, the former Monaco attacker insists that is all nonsense.

"Arsene Wenger can never say that I wanted to leave," added Adebayor. "It was because Arsene didn't want me anymore.

"If Arsene has a big heart we can go on a TV show to have a debate and he will never say I told him I wanted to leave the club.

"He'll never say that. He knows it full well. I respect him enormously, and he knows that, but the most annoying thing about the whole story is when people say I wanted to leave for the money. If I had really wanted to, I would have left two years ago for the money and gone to Milan or Barcelona."

"I read that it was me who was the troublemaker in the changing room. That's unbelievable. If one player can say that I, Emmanuel Adebayor, spoke badly to anyone in the changing rooms then I'd honestly like to know who it is. It has never happened in my life."