'I played for both Arsenal and Tottenham - here's why I hate one of the clubs now'

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Few footballers cross the north London divide without tarnishing their standing on one side or the other, and Emmanuel Adebayor is no different. The former striker rose to prominence at Arsenal before later turning out for Tottenham , with a fiery spell at Manchester City in between.

Although his three-and-a-half years at the Emirates Stadium are widely regarded as the best period of his career, the Togolese forward has admitted he "hates" Arsenal, citing the acrimonious circumstances surrounding his 2009 departure.

Just weeks after joining City in a £25million deal, Adebayor scored the decisive goal in a 4-2 win at the Etihad Stadium before infamously sprinting the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of the Arsenal fans.

In 2018, he spoke candidly about his "hate" for Arsenal and his lingering resentment towards former manager Arsene Wenger , claiming he felt pushed out of the club. "I had a meeting with Arsene Wenger in his office when he told me I had to leave because he doesn't see my future any more in Arsenal. I have to move on in my life," Adebayor revealed.

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"I was like 'I'm going to stay.' He was like 'no there is not even a fight organised. We are not going to organise any fight for you. You move out or you stay here and don't play any games.'

"So I didn't have any other choice than joining Man City which I was very happy to join. And the next day when I joined Manchester City I saw him doing a press conference in London saying that I wanted to leave because the money was big and everything, and since that day that is where the hate for Arsenal came from.

"Not the fans because the fans are the first English fans to sing my name in London. Even today when I watch them play I want them to win but at the same time I want them to lose because the anger in me is too big."

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When asked what was going through his mind during his controversial goal celebration against Arsenal, Adebayor said: "A prisoner is out. A prisoner is free."

He added: "I play for the club for three and a half years. They bought me for three or four million, they sold me for 27m, and they are still calling me names. They are still telling me I leave for money.

"You bought me for £3m, I still have five years' contract and you let me go for £20m more and you are telling me I am the one leaving for money and you are abusing me."

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Adebayor arrived at Arsenal from AS Monaco in 2006 as a raw but promising talent. With established stars such as Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie ahead of him in the pecking order, opportunities were initially limited. But Adebayor forced his way into prominence, ultimately scoring 62 goals in 142 appearances for the Gunners - including a prolific 30-goal return in the 2007/08 campaign.

His spell at Man City proved shorter and less fruitful. After a single season as a regular, he fell out of favour following the arrival of manager Roberto Mancini, who preferred Carlos Tevez and Edin Dzeko in attack.

Midway through the 2010/11 season, Adebayor joined Real Madrid on loan before securing another temporary move to Tottenham for the 2011/12 season.

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After finishing as Spurs' top scorer with 17 goals in 33 Premier League appearances, the move was made permanent in a £5m deal. He would go on to score 42 goals in 113 outings for Tottenham before departing for Crystal Palace in 2015, having lost his place to emerging striker Harry Kane .

Adebayor remains one of just four players to have represented both Arsenal and Tottenham in the Premier League era - alongside William Gallas, David Bentley and Rohan Ricketts - underlining the enduring frostiness of North London's fiercest rivalry.

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